F.C. Ashdod

Ashdod
Full name	Football Club Ironi Ashdod; מועדון ספורט עירוני אשדוד‎
Nickname(s)	The Port City Team; The Dolphins
Founded	1999; 22 years ago
Ground	Yud-Alef Stadium, Ashdod
Capacity	7,800
Owner	F.C. Ashdod Supporters trust
Chairman	Municipality of Ashdod
Manager	Ran Ben Shimon
League	Israeli Premier League
2020–21	Israeli Premier League, 3rd of 14
Home colours	Away colours

F.C. Ironi Ashdod (Hebrew: מועדון ספורט עירוני אשדוד‎, Moadon Sport Ashdod, lit. Ashdod Sport Club or in short Hebrew: מ.ס. אשדוד‎, Mem Samekh Ashdod, lit. F.C. Ashdod) is an Israeli football club, playing in the port city of Ashdod. The unorthodox name of the team (unlike most Israeli football teams, the name indicates only the club's home city but no association, e.g. Hapoel, Maccabi, Beitar etc.) is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabi Ironi Ashdod.

History[]

During the club's first years, its kit colors were completely blue. However, when Haim Revivo took a more prominent role in the club, the colors were changed to red and yellow. The decision was made that the kit should incorporate the previous two clubs' colors, Hapoel having been red and Maccabi yellow.

The club was not immediately successful after the merger, and fan support was lacking. During the 2004–05 season, they reached their greatest achievement, a third-place finish in the Israeli Premier League and a berth in the UEFA Cup. The club also reached the final of the Toto Cup, only to go out on penalty kicks. Their first time in a continental competition was not a memorable one, as they went out to the Slovenian PrvaLiga runners-up, NK Domžale.

Prior to the 2014–15 season, the club added Ironi to its name. However, following a dispute with fans of the previous club, Maccabi Ironi Ashdod, during the 2–3 defeat against Maccabi Netanya in the last match of the regular season, the club's chairman, Jacky Ben-Zaken, decided to rename the club to Hapoel Ashdod and to play in red shirts.^[1] Despite warnings from the Israel Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal,^[2] Ashdod did show up for their next match, which opened the Bottom playoff, against Hapoel Ra'anana in red shirts, with the caption "F.C. Hapoel Ashdod",^[3] and was eventually disciplined.^[4] Furthermore, the club was punished by FIFA with six points deduction for failing to pay an arbitration award to Nigerian club, Kaduna United, for the transfer of Efe Ambrose in 2010. As a result, the club has been dropped to the bottom place in the Israeli Premier League.^[5] However, in an exceptional decision, FIFA reversed its decision after it was found out that the club did pay the arbitration award.^[6] At the end of the season, the club finished at the bottom of the league, after failing to register a win during their last 15 matches, and for the first time in their history, were relegated to the second tier, Liga Leumit, following a defeat of 0–1 against Hapoel Tel Aviv.^[7]^[8]

In the 2015–16 season, the club won Liga Leumit and made an immediate return to the Israeli Premier League.

Players[]

Current squad[]

Updated 6 September, 2021.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	ISR	Yoav Gerafi
3	DF	ISR	Gil Cohen
4	DF	UGA	Timothy Awany
5	DF	SRB	Nenad Cvetković
6	MF	ISR	Firas Abu Akel
7	FW	UGA	Fahad Bayo
9	MF	ISR	Mohammed Kna'an
11	FW	ISR	Lior Inbrum
12	DF	ISR	Bar Natanel
13	DF	GHA	Montari Kamaheni
14	MF	ISR	Yoni Sisai
15	DF	ISR	Tom Ben Zaken (captain)
16	DF	ISR	Zohar Zasno
17	FW	ISR	Hayford Adjei


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
20	FW	ISR	Gal Katabi (on loan from Maccabi Haifa)
26	FW	GHA	Abdul Zakaria Mugees
29	FW	ISR	Shalev Harush
30	FW	ISR	Noaf Bazea (on loan from Maccabi Ahi Nazareth)
41	GK	ISR	Sahar Hasson
55	MF	ISR	Naor Sabag
77	MF	ISR	Ya'akov Berihon
88	FW	ISR	Idan Dahan
99	FW	ISR	Oz Bilu
—	DF	ISR	Shay Ben David
—	MF	ISR	Ataa Jaber
—	MF	ISR	Amir Agayev
—	MF	USA	Kenny Saief (on loan from Anderlecht)

Out on loan[]


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player

Notable former players[]

Foreigners 2020–21[]

Only up six non-Israeli nationals can be in an Israeli club squad (only five can play at the same time). 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.^{[citation needed]}

Managers[]

Yossi Mizrahi (2004, 21 April 2008 – 20 May 2010)
John Gregory (1 July 2010 – 18 April 2011)
Yossi Mizrahi (18 April 2011 – 30 June 2013)
Nir Klinger (1 July 2013 – 7 June 2015)
Eyal Lahman (7 June 2015 – 18 December 2015)
(18 December 2015 – 14 February 2017)
Ran Ben Shimon (14 February 2017 – 5 July 2017)
Yossi Mizrahi (16 July 2017 – 3 August 2017) (caretaker)
Reuven Atar (3 August 2017 – 3 October 2017)
Amir Turgeman (10 October 2017 – 24 April 2018)
Yossi Mizrahi (24 April 2018 – 11 May 2018)
Blagoja Milevski (11 May 2018 – November 2018)
Yuval Naim (November 2018 – January 2019)
Moshe Ohayon (January 2019 – February 2019)
(February 2019 – June 2019)
(June 2019 – January 2020)
Ran Ben Shimon (January 2020–)

European cup history[]

As of match played 29 July 2021

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2005–06	UEFA Cup	Q2	Slovenia	Domžale	2–2	1–1	3–3 (a)
2021–22	UEFA Europa Conference League	Q2	Azerbaijan	Qarabağ	0–1	0–0	0–1

Club personnel[]

Position	Person
Head Coach	Ran Ben Shimon
Assistant Coach	Ronny Awat
Assistant Coach	Moshe Ohayon
Assistant Coach	Yossi Fahima
Goalkeeper Coach	Moshe Purnell
Physiotherapist	Naftali Harush
Fitness Coach	Yoav Herzog
Fitness Coach	Moshe Dameron
Doctor	Haim Kovachich
Academy Director	Tal Cohen

Kit makers[]

Years	Kit manufacturers
2000–2007	Diadora
2007–2009	Sektor Sport
2009–2013	Nike
2013–2014	Legea
2014–2016	Nike
2016–2017	Jartazi
2017–	Nike

References[]

^ Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod Shirley Bar Dayan, Sport 5, 14 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ Ashdod can't change name Sport 2, 18 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch David Nathan, Ynet, 21 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts Sport 5, 30 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod Ynet, 8 April 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ Back to life: FIFA returned F.C. Ashdod the six points Motti Pshehatzki, Sport 5, 17 April 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ No remaining in the league like this: All the numbers of F.C. Ashdod Sport 1, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)
^ Watch: F.C. Ashdod relegated to Leumit after 18 years Erez Na'aman & Igal Berman, One, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)

External links[]

Moadon Sport Ironi Ashdod Israel Football Association

[1] Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod Shirley Bar Dayan, Sport 5, 14 March 2015 (in Hebrew)

[2] Ashdod can't change name Sport 2, 18 March 2015 (in Hebrew)

[3] Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch David Nathan, Ynet, 21 March 2015 (in Hebrew)

[4] Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts Sport 5, 30 March 2015 (in Hebrew)

[5] In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod Ynet, 8 April 2015 (in Hebrew)

[6] Back to life: FIFA returned F.C. Ashdod the six points Motti Pshehatzki, Sport 5, 17 April 2015 (in Hebrew)

[7] No remaining in the league like this: All the numbers of F.C. Ashdod Sport 1, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)

[8] Watch: F.C. Ashdod relegated to Leumit after 18 years Erez Na'aman & Igal Berman, One, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)

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