Hapoel Ashkelon F.C.

Hapoel Ashkelon
Full name	Hapoel Ashkelon Football Club; מועדון כדורגל הפועל אשקלון
Founded	1955; 67 years ago
Ground	Sala Stadium, Ashkelon
Capacity	5,250
Manager	Avi Buchbut
League	Liga Alef South
2020–21	Liga Alef South (Group B), 7th
Home colours	Away colours

Hapoel Ashkelon F.C. (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל הפועל אשקלון, Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Ashkelon) is an Israeli football club based in Ashkelon. The club currently competes in Liga Alef and plays at the 5,250-capacity Sala Stadium.

History[]

After being founded in 1955, Hapoel Ashkelon spent their first few decades in the lower leagues of Israeli football. 1995–96 they won Liga Alef South division and promoted to Liga Artzit (then the second tier) and in 1996–97, they achieved second successive promotion, to Liga Leumit (then the top tier) as Liga Artzit champions. However, the club finished bottom of the division, with a points deduction. In 1999–2000, they were relegated to the third tier (which became Liga Artzit following the formation of the Israeli Premier League as the top tier in 1999), before returning to the second tier (now Liga Leumit), after winning Liga Artzit in the 2004–05 season. The club reached the State Cup final for the first time in 2007, but despite taking the lead, lost 5–4 on penalties to Hapoel Tel Aviv after a 1–1 draw. At the end of the season, the club finished 11th and relegated to Liga Artzit.

In 2008–09, the club finished as runners-up in Liga Artzit and promoted back to Liga Leumit.

In 2009–10, the club finished as runners-up in Liga Leumit and promoted back to the Israeli Premier League. Just a season later, the club finished 15th, and relegated back to Liga Leumit.

In 2013–14, the club finished 15th in Liga Leumit, and relegated to Liga Alef. The club made an immediate return to Liga Leumit, after winning Liga Alef South division in the following season. In 2015–16, the club won the Leumit Toto Cup following a victory of 1–0 against F.C. Ashdod. At the end of the season, they finished as runners-up and made a return to the Israeli Premier League, their second successive promotion under the guidance of Yuval Naim.^[1]

Little Argentina[]

Over the years, Hapoel Ashkelon has developed a tradition of signing Argentine footballers, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Many times, there were two Argentine players who played together and developed an attacking partnership together.^[2] Among those who have represented Argentina within the squad have been Bryan Man, Carlos Chacana, Naón Isidro, Jonny Tennenbaum, Fernando Fligman and Gastón Sangoy.

Current squad[]

As to 12 September 2021


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	ISR
2	DF	ISR
3	DF	ISR
4	DF	ISR
6	DF	ISR
7	MF	ISR	Zion Tzemah
8	MF	ISR
9	FW	ISR
10	MF	ISR
11	MF	ISR
12	DF	ISR


No.	Pos.	Nation
13	GK	ISR
14	DF	ISR
15	FW	ISR
16	DF	ISR
17	MF	ISR
19	MF	ISR
20	MF	ISR
24	MF	ISR
33	MF	ISR
45	DF	ISR
99	FW	ISR

Notable former players[]

References[]

^ Very nice: Hapoel Ashkelon is officially in the Premier League Gil Michaeli, Doublepass, 6 May 2016 (in Hebrew)
^ Levy, Eli (2008-10-30). אשקלון ג'וניורס [Ashkelon Juniors] (in Hebrew). MyNet. Retrieved 14 September 2009.

External links[]

Fansite (in Hebrew)
Hapoel Ashkelon The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)

[1] Very nice: Hapoel Ashkelon is officially in the Premier League Gil Michaeli, Doublepass, 6 May 2016 (in Hebrew)

[2] Levy, Eli (2008-10-30). אשקלון ג'וניורס [Ashkelon Juniors] (in Hebrew). MyNet. Retrieved 14 September 2009.

[1]

[2]

v t Liga Alef
North	F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira F.C. Tira Hapoel Baqa al-Gharbiyye Hapoel Bnei Ar'ara 'Ara Hapoel Bnei Fureidis Hapoel Bnei Zalafa Hapoel Bu'eine Hapoel Herzliya Hapoel Iksal Hapoel Kafr Kanna Hapoel Kaukab Hapoel Migdal HaEmek Ironi Nesher Ironi Tiberias Maccabi Tzur Shalom Maccabi Tamra Tzeirei Kafr Kanna
South	Bnei Eilat F.C. Dimona F.C. Holon Yermiyahu Hapoel Ashkelon Hapoel Azor Hapoel Bik'at HaYarden Hapoel Bnei Lod Hapoel Marmorek Maccabi Herzliya Maccabi Ironi Ashdod Maccabi Jaffa Kabilio Hapoel Kfar Shalem Maccabi Sha'arayim Maccabi Yavne Nordia Jerusalem Shimshon Tel Aviv
Seasons (third level)	1938 1950–51 1952–53 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2020–21
See also: Liga Artzit

v t Israeli Premier League
Clubs	Beitar Jerusalem Bnei Sakhnin F.C. Ashdod Hapoel Be'er Sheva Hapoel Hadera Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Nof HaGalil Hapoel Tel Aviv Ironi Kiryat Shmona Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Petah Tikva Maccabi Tel Aviv
Stadiums	Bloomfield Stadium Doha Stadium Green Stadium HaMoshava Stadium Kiryat Shmona Stadium Netanya Stadium Sammy Ofer Stadium Teddy Stadium Turner Stadium Yud-Alef Stadium
Former clubs	Bnei Yehuda Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan Hapoel Acre Hapoel Ashkelon Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Petah Tikva Hapoel Ra'anana Hapoel Ramat Gan Hapoel Ramat HaSharon Hapoel Rishon LeZion Hapoel Tzafririm Holon Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Maccabi Herzliya Maccabi Kiryat Gat Sektzia Nes Tziona
Competition	Champions Foreign players Players with 100+ goals Records All-time table
Seasons	1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22