Hapoel will hold a 10-day training camp in Slovakia, featuring three friendly matches. Here is everything you need to know.
Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv will depart today (Monday) for its pre-season training camp. This year, the camp will take place just outside Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, serving as a cornerstone in the team's preparations for the upcoming 2026/27 season.
During the camp, Hapoel will play three friendly matches. The first test will be against the Czech side FC Zlín (Wednesday, July 8, at 11:00 AM Local Time). The following two fixtures will be against local Slovakian opponents: Dunajská Streda (Saturday, July 11, at 18:00 PM Local Time) and Dukla Banská Bystrica (Tuesday, July 14, at 16:00 PM Local Time). All matches will be broadcast live on Sport 1 channels.
Our Squad for the Training Camp:
About the Training Facility
The team will be hosted at the National Training Center of the Slovak Football Association, which regularly serves Slovakia's senior, youth, and women's national teams. Located in the town of Senec—approximately 25 km east of Bratislava—the state-of-the-art facility offers the players and staff a quiet, pastoral environment. It features top-tier pitches that meet the highest international standards, advanced recovery and medical facilities, modern gyms, and tactical meeting rooms.
Scout Report: Meet the Opponents
FC Zlin (Czech Republic)
Founded in 1919 in the city of Zlin, Czech Republic. During the 2025/2026 season, the team competed in the Czech top flight, finishing 12th in the table. The club's historic achievements include winning the Czech Cup in the 2016/2017 season and capturing the Czech-Slovak Super Cup in 2017. The squad relies heavily on local domestic talent.
Dunajska Streda (Slovakia)
Established in 1904, Dunajska Streda is a prominent fixture in the Slovak First League. The club enjoyed a highly successful 2025/2026 campaign, finishing 2nd in the table as the Slovak league runners-up. The team boasts a diverse international roster, including a Brazilian goalkeeper alongside players from Ghana, Syria, Gabon, Togo, and more.
Dukla Banska Bystrica (Slovakia)
Founded in 1965, Dukla Banska Bystrica has won two domestic cups throughout its history. In the 2025/2026 season, the club dominated the second division, finishing 1st to secure direct promotion back to the Slovak top flight.
Historical Context: Hapoel vs. Slovakian and Czech Opponents
This camp marks a historic milestone, as it will be the first time The Reds hold a pre-season camp on Slovakian soil, and the first time Hapoel will face a Slovakian opponent in a friendly match.
Hapoel has faced a Czech opponent in a friendly only once before—during the 2007/2008 pre-season camp against Sigma Olomouc, a match that ended in a scoreless draw.
In official European competitions, however, Hapoel has crossed paths with Czech sides on several occasions:
UEFA Cup (2006/2007): The first encounter took place on December 13, 2006, when Hapoel hosted Mladá Boleslav at Bloomfield Stadium in the group stage. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with none other than Elyaniv Barda opening the scoring for Hapoel in the 27th minute.
Europa League Playoffs (2008/2009): Hapoel faced Teplice in a dramatic two-legged tie. In the first leg in the Czech Republic, Hapoel secured a thrilling 2-1 victory courtesy of a 94th-minute winner. A week later at Bloomfield, the return leg ended in another dramatic 1-1 draw, with Dedi Ben Dayan scoring a 91st-minute equalizer to send Hapoel through.
Europa League Group Stage (2012/2013): Hapoel faced Viktoria Plzeň twice. In the home fixture at Bloomfield, the Czechs came from behind to win 2-1 after Hanan Maman had given Hapoel a 19th-minute lead. In the reverse fixture, Hapoel suffered one of its heaviest defeats in European history, losing 4-0 in the Czech Republic.