Soccer: Bnei Yehuda kicks off Euro season in Azerbaijan Thursday

Club to visit Simurq PFC of Azerbaijan in the first leg of the first qualifying of the Europa League.

By ALLON SINAI
bnei yehuda yay 224 88 (photo credit: asaf kliger)
bnei yehuda yay 224 88
(photo credit: asaf kliger)
The summer has just begun and most Premier League teams are only now returning to training, but not Bnei Yehuda. The club will start its European campaign on Thursday evening, visiting Simurq PFC of Azerbaijan in the first leg of the first qualifying of the Europa League, the new name for the UEFA Cup. "We are facing a good team, but our goal is to return to Israel with a victory," Bnei Yehuda coach Guy Luzon said." Striker Eliran Atar is also aiming for a precious away victory ahead of next week's return leg at Bloomfield Stadium. "Our goal is to win and I hope we can do so and make life easier for ourselves in the return leg," Atar said. "Guy said he will settle for nothing less than a win. But if we don't win there we will win at home." Maccabi Netanya enters the Europa League in its second qualifying round, visiting Malta's Sliema Wanderers on July 16 and hosting the return leg a week later. Hapoel Tel Aviv will start the competition in its third qualifying round. On Wednesday, Hapoel announced that it has signed Betar Jerusalem midfielder Michael Zandberg who leaves the capital amid wage cuts.