Hapoel Beer-Sheva who until a couple of years ago was an also ran in the Israeli premier league repeated yesterday as Israeli soccer champions by beating its arch rival Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Last year Hapoel Beer Sheva enjoyed a season that was, in its own way, every bit as unlikely as Leicester City’s Premier League title in England. After 40 years in the wilderness, and without the resources of its rivals, Hapoel Beer Sheva overcame all of its challengers to win the Israeli title on the final day of the season. That success brought another prize: a spot in the Champions League qualification rounds. No one is mistaken about who is responsible for the rejuvenation of the club and, at least in part, the city. The club was transformed after being bought about 10 years ago by Alona Barkat, the wife of a wealthy Israeli tech entrepreneur. She is the only woman to own a professional soccer team in Israel and, depending on whom you speak to in Beersheba, Barkat is “The Queen,” “The Messiah” or “The Princess of the Desert.”
Yesterday, Hapoel Beer Sheva won the title for the second year in a row to assert its leadership of Israeli soccer and is poised for another season of competition in the UEFA Champions League. Last year, Hapoel Beer Sheva was no slouch in the UCL competition. They recorded a victory against the Greek side Olympiakos and another against the Scottish champion Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers. While Hapoel Beer Sheva missed out on a place in the group stage by a single goal, it has thrived after dropping into the second-tier Europa League, beating Italy’s Inter Milan home and away and earning a tie against the Premier League club Southampton.
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