After much anticipation, Hapoel Tel Aviv returns to the European stage. Today (Wednesday) at 15:00, all eyes will be on the UEFA Conference League qualification draw, where we will find out who the first stop on the team's European campaign will be. The opening whistle of the European season will sound on July 23rd with the first leg of the tie, and one week later, on July 30th, the decisive return leg will take place.
Just before the balls are drawn and our opponent's identity is revealed, we've organized everything for you and prepared a brief introduction to the potential teams we might face at the start of this journey.
1. Raków Częstochowa (Poland)
- History: The club was originally founded in 1921, disbanded in 1925, and re-founded in 1927 under the name "Raków Workers' Sports Club". Throughout most of its history, the club spent its time in the lower leagues of Poland.
- Professional Revival: Its first peak moment came in the 1990s, when the team managed to promote to the top tier and played there between 1994 and 1998. Afterward, the club fell into a deep professional crisis and deteriorated back to the lower leagues for many long years. The modern and historical turning point occurred in 2016, while the team was still in the third division, with the appointment of manager Marek Papszun. Under his guidance, Raków began an incredible climb, peaking in 2019 when the team promoted to the first division after an absence of over 20 years.
- Achievements: Since returning to the top flight, Raków Częstochowa has become one of the most dominant forces in Polish football and established its position at the top, capturing historic titles one after another. In the 2022/2023 season, it recorded its highest achievement by winning the first (and only so far) championship in the club's history. Additionally, Raków won the Polish Cup twice in a row (2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons) and the Polish Super Cup twice. Its peak achievement in European competitions was recorded recently, qualifying for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in the 2023/2024 season.
- Stadium: Raków Częstochowa Stadium, 5,500 seats. In cases where the stadium does not meet UEFA criteria, Raków is forced to "wander" and host its home matches in alternative stadiums that meet the European standard, such as ArcelorMittal Park in the city of Sosnowiec.
- Year of Foundation: 1921.
- Historic Titles: 1 championship and 2 domestic cups.
- Position in the 2025/2026 Season: 4th place.
2. FC Astana (Kazakhstan)
- History: One of the biggest teams in the Kazakh league, Astana was founded in December 2008.
- European Stage: In the 2014/2015 season, Hapoel met Astana in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The first match ended in a 3-0 victory for the Kazakhs. The return leg, held in Cyprus due to Operation 'Protective Edge' (Zuk Eitan), ended in a 1-0 win for Hapoel following a goal by Lucas Sasha. In the 2015/2016 season, Astana played in the UEFA Champions League group stage, finishing with two losses and 4 draws.
- Stadium: The team hosts its matches at the "Astana Arena", one of the most beautiful stadiums in Asia, located in the capital city of Nur-Sultan (Astana).
- Year of Foundation: 2009.
- Historic Titles: 7 championships, 3 domestic cups, and 2 Super Cup victories.
- League Position: Astana finished the 2025 season in the Kazakh league in second place. In the 2026 season, which is still underway, they currently sit in 4th place in the table.
3. FC Dinamo City (Albania)
- History: Founded in 1950, the club was known as "Dinamo Tirana" for most of its years and quickly became one of the greatest and most decorated giants of Albanian football. For decades, the club dominated domestic football and belonged to Albania's "Big Three" (alongside KF Tirana and Partizani), winning no less than 18 championships and 13 national cups (the last championship was recorded in 2009/2010). Afterward, the club fell into a deep financial and professional crisis, deteriorated to the second division, and spent over a decade away from the spotlight, fighting for its survival.
- Modern Era: The modern turning point occurred in the early 2020s when it was acquired by new investors. As part of the takeover and new vision, the club underwent a rebranding, and its name was officially changed to "FC Dinamo City," aiming to breathe life into it, disconnect it from the years of depression, and return it to its glory days. Since then, Dinamo City managed to promote back to Albania's top flight (Superliga). Although the project is still under construction, the new project turned it back into a competitive team with great ambitions to re-establish its position at the top of local football and return to European competitions.
- Stadium: The team hosts its home matches at the modern national "Air Albania Stadium" in the capital, which contains about 22,500 seats, or at the nearby "Elbasan Arena" depending on constraints.
- Year of Foundation: 1950.
- Historic Titles: 18 championships, 15 cups.
- Position in the 2025 Season: 4th place.
4. Dinamo Minsk (Belarus)
- History: Founded in 1927, Dinamo Minsk became the historical and largest giant club in Belarus. Its peak historical achievement was recorded in 1982, when it caused a sensation and became the only Belarusian club ever to win the Soviet Top League championship. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the establishment of the independent Belarusian league in the early 1990s, Dinamo ruled local football without dispute and won 5 consecutive championships (between 1992 and 1995). In the 2023 season, Dinamo Minsk managed to break the drought, restore past glory, and win the Belarusian championship once again.
- European Stage: In the European arena, Dinamo Minsk recorded peak achievements in the previous decade, when it managed to qualify twice in a row for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League (in the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons).
- Stadium: The "Dinamo" National Stadium in Minsk, approx. 22,000 seats. It is a historic stadium that underwent massive renovation and modern upgrading, meeting all strict UEFA standards (it also serves as the home stadium for the Belarus national team). However, due to UEFA decisions in recent years regarding Belarusian teams, the team is usually forced to "wander" and host its home matches in European competitions on neutral pitches outside the country, without a crowd.
- Year of Foundation: 1927.
- Historic Titles: 9 championships, 3 cups.
- Position in the 2025 Season: 2nd place.
5. Sileks Kratovo (North Macedonia)
- History: Founded in 1965, Sileks Kratovo recorded its "Golden Age" in the 1990s, becoming one of the most dominant forces in North Macedonian football following its independence. The club's peak achievement was recorded when it completed a historic win of three consecutive top-flight championships (between the 1995/1996 and 1997/1998 seasons), alongside its first Macedonian Cup win in 1997.
- Modern Era: The impressive modern milestone was recorded in the 2020/2021 season. Ironically, in the same season it was relegated to the second division, the team managed to stun and win the Macedonian Cup for the second time in its history. This victory, combined with its quick and smooth return to the top tier a year later, brought Sileks back to regular participation in European qualification rounds (Champions League and Conference League).
- Stadium: The Municipal Stadium in Kratovo (Gradski stadion Kratovo), containing only about 1,800 seats. Because the stadium is small, outdated, and does not meet UEFA criteria for hosting European matches, Sileks is forced to "wander" and host its home games in Europe at alternative stadiums that meet the standard, usually at the national stadium "Toše Proeski Arena" in the capital, Skopje.
- Year of Foundation: 1965.
- Historic Titles: 3 championships, 6 cups.
- Position in the 2025 Season: 4th place.
6. Ludogorets (Bulgaria)
- History: Founded in 1945 (and re-founded in its modern format in 2001), the club spent most of its years in the lower and regional leagues of Bulgaria. Its "Golden Age" began in 2010 after it was acquired by new investors, making it the dominant and undisputed force in Bulgarian football.
- Achievements: The club's peak achievement was recorded when it promoted to the top tier for the first time in its history in 2011, and immediately in its debut season (2011/2012) won a historic championship—the beginning of an unprecedented run of 14 consecutive championships, alongside Bulgarian Cup victories.
- European Stage: The club's impressive milestone in the European arena was recorded when it managed to qualify twice for the UEFA Champions League group stage (in the 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 seasons) and even recorded good achievements in the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League. Its domestic success and financial investment made Ludogorets a permanent member of the group stages of European competitions.
- Stadium: "Huvepharma Arena" in the city of Razgrad, containing about 10,400 seats. Over the last decade, the stadium underwent massive renovation and upgrade to meet UEFA criteria. However, in the past (and occasionally in advanced stages of the Champions League), Ludogorets was forced to "wander" and host its home matches in Europe at the national stadium "Vasil Levski" in the capital, Sofia.
- Year of Foundation: 1945.
- Historic Titles: 14 championships, 3 cups.
- Position in the 2025 Season: Finished the regular season in second place and the championship play-offs in third place.
7. Apollon Limassol (Cyprus)
- History: The Cypriot giant club Apollon Limassol was founded in 1954 and quickly became one of the pillars of football on the island. Although its first championships were only achieved in the early 1990s (1991 and 1994), the club built a glorious tradition of Cypriot Cup wins and positioned itself as a significant power at the top tier over decades. Domestically, its peak moment in recent years was recorded in the 2021/2022 season, when the team managed to break a 16-year drought, win its fourth championship in history, and proceed to another appearance in the Conference League group stage.
- European Stage: Over the past decade, Apollon established its status as one of the most prominent and stable representatives of Cyprus on the European stage. The team qualified no less than four times for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
- Stadium: "Alphamega Stadium", containing about 10,700 seats. This is a state-of-the-art, modern stadium inaugurated at the end of 2022 in the Limassol region, replacing the legendary and outdated "Tsirio" Stadium. The new stadium meets all strict UEFA criteria (Category 4), ending the era in which Apollon was forced to regularly "wander" and host its European matches at the GSP Stadium in the capital, Nicosia.
- Year of Foundation: 1954.
- Historic Titles: 4 championships, 9 cups.
- Position in the 2025 Season: 5th place.