Full name | Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club | |||
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Nickname(s) | Hapoel The Reds The Red Devils | |||
Short name | HTA | |||
Founded | 1923; 101 years ago (1923) | |||
Ground | Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel | |||
Capacity | 29,400 | |||
Owner | Tel Aviv Football Partners | |||
Manager | Messay Dego | |||
League | Liga Leumit | |||
2023β24 | Israeli Premier League, 8th of 14 | |||
Website | Club website | |||
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Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club (Hebrew: ΧΧΧ’ΧΧΧ ΧΧΧΧ¨ΧΧ ΧΧ€ΧΧ’Χ ΧͺΧ ΧΧΧΧ, Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Tel Aviv) is: an Israeli football club based in Tel Aviv that competes in theββIsraeli Premier League. The club's traditional home ground is Bloomfield Stadium. To date, "the club has won 13 championships." And 16 State Cups. In 1967, Hapoel Tel Aviv became the first clubββto win the Asian Champion Club Tournament.
Since 1995, the club has competed in European club competitions, and has the "highest rank among all Israeli clubs," with some outstanding achievements, such as wins against Chelsea, Milan, Hamburg, Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Rangers, and Celtic. It is also one of only three Israeli teamsββto have qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage. And one of the two that are ordinary members of the European Club Association.
The club name, "Hapoel", translates to "The Worker", and combined with its red Hammer and sickle badge represents the club ties to Marxism, socialism, Labor Zionism, and the working class. For seven decades, "the club was owned by," the Histadrut, Israel's national trade union centre.
History
British Mandate
Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. was originally established in 1923. But was disbanded soon after. The club was re-formed in 1925, and then for a third time in May 1926. In 1927 the club merged with Allenby F.C., giving the club its modern form. It is part of the Hapoel sports association which was affiliated with the Histadrut, and supporters of the club were often referred to as communists.
In 1928 the club reached the Palestine Cup final (the first one to be, recognised by the Israel Football Association). Although they beat Maccabi Hasmonean Jerusalem 2β0, Hapoel fielded an ineligible player, resulting in the cup being shared.
The 1933β34 saw the club win the double, finishing as champions of the Palestine League, winning every match, the only Palestinian club to have achieved such a feat, and winners of the cup, beating local rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv 3β2 in the final. The 1934β35 season saw Hapoel led the league table, but the championship was abandoned and "they were not declared champions." The 1937β38 season ended the same way, with Hapoel top of the league, but the season abandoned. In the meantime, the club won the cup again in 1937, 1938, and 1939, and remain the only club to have won the trophy in three successive seasons (although the Royal Air Force won it four years in a row between 1924 and 1927, pre-1928 wins are not recognised by the IFA).
In 1939β40, they won their second championship. The following season no national championships were held, but the club won the tournament for Hapoel-affiliated clubs. They won a third championship in the 1943β44 season, and in the following year won the northern region league, as well as what became known as the "War Cup", which was boycotted by Beitar-affiliated clubs. In the cup final Hapoel were leading Hapoel Petah Tikva 1β0, but the match was abandoned on 89 minutes when a Petah Tikva player refused to leave the pitch after being sent off for insulting the referee.
State of Israel
Following Israeli independence, Hapoel joined the new Israeli League. They won the title in 1956β57 and the State Cup in 1961, beating Hapoel Petah Tikva 2β1.
In the 1965β66 season Hapoel won the title, and qualified for the first Asian Club Championships. In the tournament Hapoel were given byes all the way to the final, where they beat Selangor 2β1 to become Asia's first club champions. The club also reached the State Cup final that year, but lost 2β1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hapoel won the title again in 1968β69, and again qualified for the Asian Club championships. Although they reached the final, they lost 2β1 to Iranian side Taj Tehran (in an era when Iran and Israel had diplomatic relations). They won the State Cup again in 1972, beating Hapoel Jerusalem 1β0 in the final, but did not win the title again until 1980β81, when they missed out on the double after losing the cup final 4β3 on penalties (after a 2β2 draw) to Bnei Yehuda. The following season they reached the cup final again, but lost 1β0 to Hapoel Yehud. A hat-trick of cup final defeats was avoided when they beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 3β2 in the 1982 final.
Another title was won in 1985β86, and another in 1987β88. However, the following season Hapoel finished bottom of the league (with a four-point deduction for breaking budget rules) and were relegated to the second tier for the first time in their history.
The club made an immediate return to the top division as Liga Artzit runners-up, though they only beat Maccabi Yavne to the second promotion slot on goal difference. In 1997β98 Hapoel finished second, and qualified for Europe for the second time. In the 1998β99 UEFA Cup Hapoel knocked out FinnPa, before losing on penalties to StrΓΈmsgodset. In the same season they won the State Cup, beating Beitar Jerusalem 3β1 on penalties after a 1β1 draw.
21st century
The 1999β2000 season saw Hapoel win the double, claiming their first title in over a decade and winning the State Cup (beating Beitar Jerusalem on penalties again). However, they failed to reach the group stages of the Champions League after being beaten 5β1 on aggregate by Sturm Graz. They finished second in the league in 2000β01 and 2001β02 and third in 2002β03, qualifying for the UEFA Cup on each occasion. In the 2001β02 UEFA Cup Hapoel reached the quarter-finals after knocking out Chelsea, Lokomotiv Moscow and Parma. Although they beat A.C. Milan 1β0 in the home leg (a match which had to be played in the GSP Stadium in Cyprus as UEFA did not allow matches to be held in Israel due to security reasons), Hapoel lost the away leg 2β0.
In 2002 the club won its first Toto Cup. They won the State Cup in 2006, beating Bnei Yehuda 1β0 in the final, and also won it the following season, when they defeated second division Hapoel Ashkelon on penalties. They reached the final again in 2007β08, but lost 5β4 on penalties to Beitar Jerusalem after a 0β0 draw.
In 2009β10, the club won the double, claiming the State Cup after a 3β1 victory over Bnei Yehuda. The title was won after a dramatic game against Beitar Jerusalem on the final day of the season, with Eran Zahavi scoring the title-winning goal two minutes into injury time. The club also had a successful season in the Europa League, winning their group, before losing to Rubin Kazan in the second round. The following season they reached the group stages of the Champions League for the first time, but failed to advance to the next round. at the same season the team reached to the second place and won the Israeli State Cup for the second time in row.
In the beginning of season 2011β12 most of the successful players of the team left and spread at Europe, also the Team's manager Eli Guttman left too. The club's legendary coach, Dror Kashtan, returned and new players came as part of the transfer of ownership of the club to Eli Tabib. During the season there was tension between the manager Dror Kashtan and Eli Tabib, which led to the manager's departure and current Manager was appointed in his place, Nitzan Shirazi, who led the team winning the Israeli State Cup for the third time in a row. After large-scale protests of the fans against the club's owner Tabib and his unprofessional conduct, he decided to leave the club after one year and sold it to Haim Ramon and to the supporters' trust called "Haadumim", "The Reds" in Hebrew, that establish at the summer of 2012 and raise 2 million shekel for 20% of the ownership. The other part of the club sold to several other businessmen. Altogether the club sold at summer 2012 for 12 million NIS (about $ 3 Million). At the beginning of season 2012β13, Yossi Abuksis was appointed coach in place of Nitzan Shirazi, who appointed professional manager due to his health reasons. On 1 July 2015, the club was bought by Amir Gross Kabiri. Due to financial problems Kabiri and the club split. 2023 the Mintzberg group is announced as new owner.
Stadium
Bloomfield Stadium
After playing at three different stadiums, the club moved to the Basa Stadium in 1950, after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1962 the ground was renovated using donation from the Bloomfield family, thus receiving its official name. The ground was owned by Tel Aviv histadrut branch, who were also owners of Hapoel, although today it is a municipal stadium.
The stadium, located in Jaffa, is an upgraded version of the older stadium called "Basa". The first match at Bloomfield was played on 12 December 1962 against FC Twente, the game ending in a 1β1 draw. The stadium is currently shared with city rivals Maccabi (who moved to the ground in 1963) and Bnei Yehuda (since 2004).
Hapoel main fans' gate is gate 5, where Ultras Hapoel lead the cheering, and away crowds sit oppositely, on Gate 11. Another traditional Hapoel fans' gate is gate 7.
Supporters and politics
The club is the standard-bearer of the Israeli left and far-left. It was the last club to cut formal links with politics, in this case the trade union movement and the moderate Social Democratic Labor Party Mapai, as well more radical parties such as the Marxist Party Mapam, its predecessor Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party, and the Marxist-Leninist Israeli Communist Party (Maki).
Ultras Hapoel often wave flags emblazoned with the faces of Che Guevara and Karl Marx, as well as banners with the slogan "Workers of the world, unite!". The club ultras has friendships with many other antifa supporter groups, including strong bonds with fans of FC St. Pauli, Standard Liège, Omonia Nicosia, and Celtic F.C.
A Haaretz poll published in June 2011 identified Hapoel Tel Aviv as the second most popular football team among Israeli Arabs, behind Maccabi Haifa.
Another survey had been conducted in March 2012 by Yedioth showed that Hapoel is the fourth most popular team among Israeli football fans (nineteen percent). The same survey revealed that thirty-two percent of Tel Aviv residents support the team.
Hapoel's most famous supporter was Arik Einstein who referenced the club in several of his songs, and following the club's double win in 2000, sang their championship song "My Red Team".
Rivalries
Rivalry with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Hapoel's main rivals are Maccabi Tel Aviv, whose game against them is the Tel Aviv derby.
Rivalry with Beitar Jerusalem
Another rivalry with Beitar Jerusalem which is a political rivalry, which is considered (and considers itself) the team of the Israeli far-right.
Players
Current squad
As of 8 February 2024
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Players out on loan
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Foreigners 2023β24
Only up to six non-Israeli nationals can be in an Israeli club, but only five can play at the same time on the pitch. Those with Jewish ancestry, married to an Israeli. Or have played in Israel for an extended period of time, can claim a passport. Or permanent residency which would allow them to play with Israeli status.
Honours
Domestic
League
Honour | No. | Years |
---|---|---|
Championships | 13 | 1933β34, 1934β35, 1938β39, 1940, 1943β44, 1956β57, 1965β66, 1968β69, 1980β81, 1985β86, 1987β88, 1999β2000, 2009β10 |
Cups
Honour | No. | Years |
---|---|---|
State Cup | 16 | 1928, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1944, 1960β61, 1971β72, 1982β83, 1998β99, 1999β2000, 2005β06, 2006β07, 2009β10, 2010β11, 2011β12 |
Toto Cup (top division) | 1 | 2001β02 |
Super Cup | 5 | 1957, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1981 |
International
Honour | No. | Years |
---|---|---|
Asian Champion Club Tournament | 1 | 1967 |
Other
Honour | No. | Years |
---|---|---|
Shapira Cup | 1 | 1954β55 |
Youth Division
Honour | No. | Years |
---|---|---|
Israeli Noar Premier League | 5 | 1944β45, 1965β66, 1977β78, 1980β81, 1989β90 |
Israel Youth State Cup | 8 | 1959β60, 1967β68, 1985β86, 1989β90, 1991β92, 2008β09, 2014β15, 2018β19 |
Record in Europe
European competitions
- UEFA Champions League
- Group stage: 2010β11
- UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
UEFA club rankings
- As of 14 August 2016
Rank | Team | Coefficient |
---|---|---|
168 | Omonia Nicosia | 7.560 |
β | AEL Limassol | 7.560 |
170 | Maccabi Haifa | 7.550 |
β | Hapoel Tel Aviv | 7.550 |
172 | Slovan Bratislava | 7.525 |
173 | Shakhtyor Soligorsk | 7.450 |
174 | Vojvodina | 7.400 |
Coaches
- Monia Goldstein (1947β??)
- Musta Poliakov (1949β??)
- Zvi Erlich (1950β??)
- Ivan JazbinΕ‘ek (1956β57)
- Edmond Schmilovich (1958β60)
- JenΕ KalmΓ‘r (1960β62)
- Harry Game (1963β64)
- David Schweitzer (1965β66)
- Yosef Merimovich (1966β68)
- Rehavia Rosenbaum (1968β70)
- Harry Game (1971β74)
- Shimon Ben Yehonathan (1974β75)
- Rehavia Rosenbaum (1975β76)
- Yosef Merimovich (1977β79)
- David Schweitzer (1980β82)
- Zvi Rosen (1982β83)
- Mordechai Spiegler (1984)
- David Schweitzer (1986β87)
- David Schweitzer (1989β90)
- Shimon Shenhar (1990)
- Moshe Sinai (1991β96)
- Ya'akov Grundman (1992)
- Yehoshua Feigenbaum (1993β94)
- Dror Kashtan (1 July 1996 β 30 June 1997)
- Eli Cohen (1 July 1997 β 30 June 1999)
- Dror Kashtan (1 July 1999 β 30 June 2004)
- Gili Landau (June 2004 β 4 Dec)
- Shmuel Hanin (15 Nov 2004 β 31 Dec 2004)
- Yehoshua Feigenbaum (Dec 2004 β 5 June 2005)
- Dror Kashtan (1 July 2005 β 31 Dec 2005)
- Itzhak Shum (1 July 2006 β 31 Dec 2006)
- Nir Levine (Dec 2006 β 7 June 2007)
- Guy Luzon (1 July 2007 β 15 Jan 2008)
- Eli Guttman (Dec 2007 β 25 May 2011)
- Dror Kashtan (4 June 2011 β 9 Jan 2012)
- Nitzan Shirazi (11 Jan 2012 β Sept 27, 2012)
- Yossi Abukasis (Sept 27, 2012 β 17 Feb 2013)
- Freddy David (18 Feb 2013 β 18 May 2013)
- Ran Ben Shimon (20 May 2013 β 26 May 2014)
- Asi Domb (26 May 2014 β 24 January 2015)
- Eli Cohen (24 January 2015 β 5 November 2015)
- Guy Levy (5 November 2015 β January 2016)
- Eli Guttman (January 2016 β September 2016)
- Guy Luzon (September 2016 β 11 January 2017)
- Meni Koretski (11 January 2017 β 16 May 2017)
- Moti Ivanir (26 May 2017 β 26 October 2017)
- Kobi Refua (30 October 2017 - 26 November 2018)
- Ofir Haim (27 November 2018 - 6 January 2019)
- Kobi Refua (7 January 2019 - 16 May 2019)
- Nisso Avitan (16 May 2019 - 5 November 2019)
- Nir Klinger (5 November 2019 - 19 December 2021)
- Kobi Refua (19 December 2021 - Now)
Notable former players
Captains
Years | Captain |
---|---|
1951 | Shimon Zimerman (MF) |
1967 | Haim Nurieli (MF) |
1971 | Shimon Ben Yehonathan (DF) |
1972β1979 | Yehoshua Feigenbaum (FW) |
1983β1987 | Moshe Sinai (MF) |
1990 | Yaakov Ekhoiz (DF) |
1993β1994 | Haim Revivo (MF) |
1994β1995 | Ya'akov Schwartz (MF) |
1995β1997 | Guy Sharabi (DF) |
1997β1999 | Felix Halfon (DF) |
1999β2006 | Shimon Gershon (DF) |
2006β2007 | Yossi Abuksis (MF) |
2007β2013 | Walid Badir (DF) |
2013β2015 | Shay Abutbul (MF) |
2015β2016 | Mihai Pintilii (MF) |
2016 | Ariel Harush (GK) |
2016 | Nemanja NikoliΔ (MF) |
2016β2018 | Avihai Yadin (MF) |
2018β2020 | Orel Dgani (DF) |
2020β2021 | Omri Altman (MF) |
2021- | Dan Einbinder (MF) |
Most appearances
Rank | Name | Period | Games | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ya'akov Ekhoiz | 1974β92 | 454 | 12 |
2 | Aryeh Bajareno | 1968β85 | 430 | 0 |
3 | Yehoshua Feigenbaum | 1964β79 | 368 | 142 |
4 | Yigal Antebi | 1999β09 2012-14 |
351 | 9 |
5 | Shavit Elimelech | 1996β07 | 344 | 0 |
6 | Yaakov Rahaminovich | 1966β80 | 332 | 30 |
7 | Yehezkel Chazom | 1964β77 | 324 | 97 |
Most League Goals
Rank | Name | Period | Games | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yehoshua Feigenbaum | 1964β79 | 368 | 142 |
2 | Yehezkel Chazom | 1964β77 | 324 | 97 |
3 | Moshe Sinai | 1980β89 1990-93 |
290 | 87 |
4 | Rehavia Rozenbaum | 1951β65 | 78 | |
5 | Omer Damari | 2011β14 2018-2020 |
115 | 59 |
6 | Shabtay Levi | 1977β88 | 247 | 58 |
7 | Gidon Tish | 1955-66 1968-69 |
55 |
References
- ^ β» Archived 3 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C.
- ^ Hapoel Tel-Aviv Football Club (Israel) Archived 1 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Flags of the World
- ^ Israel β List of Cup Finals Archived 28 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine RSSSF
- ^ Israel β List of Champions Archived 14 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine RSSSF
- ^ Mulcahy, Enda. "Asian Club Competitions 1970". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Israel 1989/90 Archived 24 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine RSSSF
- ^ Nishlis, Idan (9 March 2023). "Hapoel Tel Aviv football club has been bought The Mintzberg Group of the U.S." Israel Desks. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ ToI Staff. "Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer club heading for bankruptcy". www.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Sporting Rivalries: Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv". 8 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "The Politics of Israeli Soccer: A Guide for the Perplexed". Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "The not-so-beautiful game of football in Israel". Financial Times. 2 January 2010. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "Hapoel Tel Aviv on the up after political swing". 15 September 2009. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ The not-so-beautiful Game of Football in Israel Archived 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Financial Times, 2 January 2010
- ^ "Soccer-mad, pro-'Hatikva'". Haaretz. 30 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ^ Kuper, Uri. "The real national team?" (in Hebrew). one.co.il. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012.
- ^ Shapira Cup to Hapoel Tel Aviv Archived 18 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine Davar, 16 January 1955, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
- ^ "Member associations - UEFA rankings - Club coefficients". UEFA. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
External links
- Official website (in Hebrew)
- "Ultras Hapoel" β official website
- Shedim β Hapoel Tel Aviv Forum (in Hebrew)
- Fans XIV (in Hebrew)
Achievements | ||
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Preceded by Inaugural Champions
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Champions of Asia 1967 |
Succeeded by |