Head Coach Elyaniv Barda on Hapoel Tel Aviv's ambitions, European campaign - interview

As Hapoel looks to build on a successful 2024/25 campaign that ended with a fourth-place finish and European qualification, Head Coach Elyaniv Barda spoke to the club’s official website about the team’s preparations, his first full season in the Premier League, the club’s ambitions and the expectations surrounding one of Israeli soccer’s biggest clubs.

“The training camp was good,” Barda said. “We had excellent conditions, and the players were exposed to a tremendous amount of intensity throughout the camp. They absorbed a lot of information and worked through a great deal of material. On the pitch, we trained well and had many strong fitness sessions. We’re in a much better place than when we arrived.”

“When I arrived, it was important for me to restore the players’ belief that promotion was still possible that same season,” Barda explained. “I was worried they had lost faith. That was the first priority. Naturally, starting off on the right foot with a win always builds confidence and belief.

“Gradually, we introduced my style and philosophy. The players began to understand it, and as the results improved and we got closer to our goal, everything became more tangible. From there we took it as far as we possibly could, and by the end of the season we achieved promotion.”

Barda also credited the wider organization for allowing him to focus exclusively on soccer.

“From my perspective, I focus solely on football,” he said. “I can concentrate only on what happens on the pitch, from the training sessions to the matches, because the entire organization around us provides tremendous support. There is a whole team working behind the scenes that people don’t always see.

“Many individuals do incredible work that often goes unnoticed. It starts with the management at the top and continues all the way down through every department. Everyone does their job professionally to ensure the players have everything they need. I was a player at Hapoel Tel Aviv myself, and I don’t remember having conditions like these.”

Building a squad capable of competing in the Premier League after promotion was no simple task. Last season, Hapoel had to significantly reshape its roster, including adding eight foreign players.

“We essentially had to build from scratch, moving from the Leumit League to the Premier League,” Barda said. “We went to camp with only two foreign players under contract, gradually signed five more and then added the eighth in January. It’s a process of scouting, analyzing data, watching players and evaluating everything together.

“In the end, we identify three, four or five candidates for every position and try to sign our top choice. It doesn’t always work out. Sometimes we get our second or third option. But we make sure we’ve thoroughly evaluated every candidate so that whichever player we end up signing is someone we truly believe in.”

Now, with a full Premier League season behind him, Barda understands the expectations that come with leading Hapoel Tel Aviv - particularly because he knows the club from his own playing days.

“I know this club. I know the supporters. I know what Hapoel Tel Aviv represents, the strength of this club and how much further it can still go,” he said. “I think we had a very good season last year, but we’re not allowed to sit back and be satisfied with what we accomplished because it won’t be enough this season.

“Every team in the league knows us now. Every team has become stronger and continues to improve. We’ll have to be much better prepared if we want to repeat and hopefully surpass last season’s success.”

With the summer transfer window still open, Hapoel’s squad remains a work in progress. Barda acknowledged that the club’s supporters may be eager to see more additions, but insisted that the slower approach is deliberate.

“In previous years, Hapoel was used to making many changes every summer. This year we’re doing things more patiently and more carefully because we want to create continuity with the existing squad,” he said.

“Of course, we want to add quality. We want to bring in players who will help us make the leap we’re looking for this season. That’s why things may seem slower, but I know how much work is happening behind the scenes, how much effort is being invested and how determined everyone is to bring in exactly the right one or two players who can truly upgrade us.”

“I don’t see expectations as a burden. I see them as something that simply comes with being Hapoel Tel Aviv,” Barda said. “Hapoel Tel Aviv is a club that should always aim for the very highest level - to compete for every trophy and use every resource available to achieve success.

“The ambitions here must always be as high as possible, and I’ll never allow the players to think otherwise or lower those expectations.”

Hapoel’s return to European competition has generated considerable excitement, although the club’s inability to host matches at Bloomfield Stadium because of the security situation could make the challenge more difficult.

“I understand the excitement. Hapoel Tel Aviv has returned to European competition after many years and I understand what that means to everyone,” Barda said. “I truly hope we can make our supporters happy by advancing to the next round.

“But that doesn’t mean anything once the game starts. We’ll look them straight in the eye, play our football and do everything possible to advance. I’d love to do it at Bloomfield because, to me, Bloomfield is a game changer. But even in an away match, with our incredible supporters filling the stands with red, anything is possible in football. I always believe.”

Barda saved his most heartfelt words for Hapoel’s supporters, whose backing remained strong even during the club’s time in the second division.

“The most important thing I want to say to the fans is thank you,” he said. “Thank you for your support when the club was in the second division. It wasn’t taken for granted to see 30,000 fans filling the stadium on a Friday in the Leumit League. Thank you for your support now in the Premier League.

“You answer the critics with your actions; you buy season tickets and continue supporting us. I want to repay you for that. Nothing would make me prouder than seeing you happy. Our players should always be proud of the fans, and of the club they represent. Wearing the Hapoel Tel Aviv shirt is a tremendous honor.”