The fixture draw held this afternoon determined that the Reds will face the Bulgarian side. The first leg will take place in Hungary (home match) on July 23rd, with the return leg in Bulgaria a week later.
The draw for the Conference League second qualifying round, held this afternoon at UEFA headquarters, determined that Hapoel Tel Aviv will face Ludogorets of Bulgaria at this stage. The opening whistle of the European campaign will sound on July 23rd, as Hapoel hosts the first leg of the tie in Hungary. A week later, on July 30th, the return leg will be held in Bulgaria, at the conclusion of which it will be decided which of the two sides progresses to the next qualifying round.
Meet the Opponent: Ludogorets (Bulgaria)
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Historical Background: The club was originally established in 1945 and reconstituted in its modern format in 2001. The club spent the vast majority of its history in the lower and regional leagues of Bulgaria. The turning point and the club's "Golden Era" began in 2010, after the team was acquired by new investors – a move that transformed it into the dominant and undisputed powerhouse of Bulgarian football in the years that followed.
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Achievements and Titles: In 2011, the club earned promotion to the top flight for the first time in its history, and immediately captured a historic championship in its debut season (2011/2012). This achievement initiated an unprecedented streak of 14 consecutive league titles, alongside 3 Bulgarian Cup triumphs. In the recently concluded 2025 season, the team finished the regular season in second place and concluded the championship playoff in third place.
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The European Arena: Thanks to its professional success and financial investment, Ludogorets has become a permanent fixture in the group stages of European competitions. The team achieved its peak performance by qualifying twice for the UEFA Champions League group stage (in the 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 seasons) and has also made appearances in the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.
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Home Stadium: The team hosts its matches at the Huvepharma Arena in the city of Razgrad, which has a seating capacity of approximately 10,400. Over the past decade, the stadium underwent massive renovation and upgrading to meet official UEFA criteria, following a past in which the team was forced to relocate and host its European matches at the "Vasil Levski" National Stadium in the capital city of Sofia.
History Tells
Throughout its many years in European competitions, Hapoel has encountered an opponent from Bulgaria only once – a two-legged tie that took place during the 2013/2014 season in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
The Reds faced Beroe Stara Zagora back then, and already in the first leg on Bulgarian soil, put on a crushing, clinical display that ended in a 4-1 victory, courtesy of a brace by Omer Damari and further goals from Lucas Sasha and Itay Shechter. A week later, in the home return leg at Bloomfield Stadium, the Bulgarians made things slightly more difficult, and the encounter ended in a 2-2 draw (with Omer Damari once again starring with a brace of his own). Ultimately, however, this offensive showcase was more than enough for the Reds to comfortably wrap up the tie and secure their ticket to the next round in style.
Final dates, kickoff times, and full details regarding ticket sales will be published in due course here on the official website.