The Israeli champions celebrated a 2-0 victory in Belgrade, advancing with a 3-0 aggregate. In the next round, they will face Sabah, coached by former Hajduk manager Valdas Dambrauskas.
Red Star Belgrade's footballers suffered a heavy blow in the Champions League qualifiers. The Serbian champions were defeated 2-0 in Belgrade by Israel's Hapoel Beer Sheva, which, combined with the previous loss, meant elimination with a 3-0 aggregate.
The hero of the match was Serbian striker Igor Zlatanović, who found the net against his former club in the 61st minute. Javon East sealed the 2-0 win with a goal in the 79th minute. Notably, the market value of the two teams is particularly striking. According to Transfermarkt, Red Star is worth €116.75 million, with Dejan Stanković's most expensive player being 18-year-old midfielder Vasilije Kostov, valued at €25 million. In contrast, the entire Hapoel Beer Sheva squad is worth just €20 million.
The Israeli side now faces a clash with former Hajduk coach Valdas Dambrauskas. The Lithuanian tactician, leading Azerbaijan's Sabah, pulled off a real miracle by defeating Danish side Aarhus 4-0 at home, overturning a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
The elimination by Hapoel is not just a sporting failure but also a serious financial setback. According to Kurir's calculations, the red-and-whites missed the chance to earn at least €14.1 million. Simply reaching the Champions League play-offs would have brought in €4.29 million, and even a defeat in that round would have led to a Europa League continuation worth an additional €4.31 million. On top of that, UEFA's club coefficient payments would have added more.
Had they gotten past Hapoel and then secured a spot in the Champions League league phase, Red Star would have pocketed €18.62 million just for qualification, plus additional revenue from wins, draws, ticket sales, and sponsors. Instead, they will continue their European season in the Europa League play-offs, where they face Czech side Viktoria Plzeň.
