Hapoel Tel Aviv is about to begin their season as they face Beitar Jerusalem in a Toto Cup European Quarterfinal match in Netanya on Saturday night (20:30) and will then begin their journey in European play when they face Ludogorets in UEFA Conference League action on Thursday.

Just ahead of the new season, the Reds Head Coach spoke to the ckub’s official website about a myriad of topics as his team looks to improve on their fine season which resulted in a 4th place finish and a spot in continental play.

“The training camp was good,” Barda began. “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.”

As for Saturday night’s matchup against Beitar Jerusalem, the bench boss is looking forward to seeing his team in action back in the Holy Land, “This is our first official match of the season and we want to approach it in the best possible way. We want to implement everything we worked on during training camp and back in Israel and of course, we want to advance to the next round.”

Barda started off at Hapoel Tel Aviv in the middle of the 2024/25 campaign when the team was still in the Leumit League but was able to find a way to earn promotion and take the club back to the Premier League and to European qualification in just one season.

“First of all, when I arrived it was important for me to restore the players’ belief that promotion was still possible that same season. We were 12 points behind the promotion places on the table and 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 and that was important as well. 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.”

On a day-to-day basis, Barda focuses on one thing and one thing only, he explained, “From my perspective, I focus solely on football. 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.”

When a team builds a squad, it’s obviously not a simple project and that’s especially true when one moves from the Leumit to the Premier League which is what Barda and his staff needed to do last year.

“Last season, we went to training camp with only two foreign players signed. We essentially had to build from scratch, moving from the Leumit League to the Premier League and sign eight foreign players. That isn’t simple. We took our time, went to camp with just two foreigners under contract, gradually signed five more and then added the eighth in January. It’s a process, 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 season under his belt back in the top division, Barda knows what the expectations are going to be especially after having been a player for the reds in the past, “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. 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.”

This season’s squad is still incomplete as it’s only the middle of July but because of the high expectations from the fans, occasionally their patience wears thin, “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.

“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.”

Barda was finally able to win a Tel Aviv Derby as Hapoel defeated their cross city rivals in dramatic fashion for the first time in over a decade which is something that is now realistic and not just a dream as they can take the next step as a club that is ambitious.

“I don’t see expectations as a burden. I see them as something that simply comes with being Hapoel Tel Aviv. 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. I know what Hapoel Tel Aviv means. I know the energy and support of the fans and what this club represents to the people and to the players. The ambitions here must always be as high as possible and I’ll never allow the players to think otherwise or lower those expectations.”

There is a lot of excitement around the club this summer and the fans are getting ready to help their team reach the goals that they had set, however, Barda is also very aware that not having a home game in their true home stadium due to the security situation, could be a stumbling block.

“I understand the excitement. Hapoel Tel Aviv has returned to European competition after many years and I understand what that means to everyone. I truly hope we can make our supporters happy by advancing to the next round. I’m convinced that if the match were at Bloomfield Stadium, the balance between the teams would be much more even, even though we’ve drawn a Champions League caliber opponent with the second-highest UEFA coefficient in the competition after Ajax.

“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 knows that without the thousands of Hapoel supporters, he wouldn’t be able to get the most out of his team and for that he had a special message especially for them.

“The most important thing I want to say to the fans is thank you. 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. And thank you for continuing to back us even when people outside the club say there are no signings or criticize what’s happening.

“You answer those 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. So all I can say is: thank you. 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.”