Bnei Yehuda set to kick off Europa League campaign

Team visits Armenia’s FC Ulysses.

By ALLON SINAI
Bnei Yehuda Sinisa Linic 248.88 (photo credit: )
Bnei Yehuda Sinisa Linic 248.88
(photo credit: )
The start of the Premier League season is still almost two months away, but for Bnei Yehuda the 2010/11 campaign gets underway on Thursday afternoon.
Bnei Yehuda visits Armenia’s FC Ulysses in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the Europa League, looking to build a significant advantage ahead of the return leg at Bloomfield Stadium next week.
The team from southern Tel Aviv will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s success in Europe, which saw it advance past three rounds of qualifiers before eventually succumbing to Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven in the playoff round.
“We are aiming to replicate last season’s accomplishments,” midfielder Omri Afek said. “We have enough good and experienced players to get the job done.”
Afek admitted that Bnei Yehuda players know little about Ulysses, whichis currently placed in second position in the Armenian league after 13matches. However, the veteran believes his team needs to first andforemost focus on its own display.
“We need to make sure we play our game,” he said. “If we do that I’m certain the results will follow.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv will begin its Europa League campaign in two weeks’time in the second qualifying round against the winner of the firstround tie between Andorra’s Santa Coloma and FK Mogren of Montenegro.Maccabi Haifa will join the competition in its third qualifying round.