Israeli basketball club Hapoel Tel Aviv has officially announced plans to host its home games for the 2025/2026 EuroLeague season in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, sports website Sportal.bg reports. The move comes as the team suspends participation in Israel’s domestic league due to the ongoing military conflict in the country. Players, coaches and staff will relocate to Sofia, where they will also train.

Last season, Hapoel Tel Aviv competed in the EuroCup — Europe’s second-tier club competition — and played its home games in the Bulgarian town of Samokov. After winning the EuroCup title, the club earned promotion to the EuroLeague, the top-tier and most prestigious basketball league in Europe.

If Sofia is confirmed as the team’s home base, Bulgarian fans will have the rare opportunity to see one of the country's basketball icons, Aleksandar Vezenkov, compete on home soil. 

Vezenkov, born in Cyprus and raised in Bulgaria, is one of Europe’s top basketball players and a fan favorite in his home country. He currently plays for Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, a regular contender in the EuroLeague.