Ironi Tiberias

Israel

Founded

2006

Arena

Green Stadium Nof HaGalil · 4,500 cap

Ironi Tiberias (Hebrew: עירוני טבריה) is a football club from Tiberias, Israel. The club is not connected to Hapoel Tiberias, a former club which spent several seasons in the top division of Israeli football in the 1960s and the 1980s, making its last appearance in the top flight in 1989. Football was played in Tiberias before the Israeli Declaration of Independence, the first club in the city, Maccabi Tiberias, was formed in 1925 and was playing football as early as 1927. A year later, Maccabi Tiberias competed in the first ever edition of the Israel State Cup. The best known club from Tiberias was Hapoel Tiberias, which played in the top division of the Israeli football in the 1960s, from 1961–62 to 1964–65, and later again in 1988–89. A third club operating in Tiberias during these years was Beitar Tiberias, although it mainly played in the lower levels of the Israeli league, its best performance being reaching Liga Bet, the third tier in the late 1960s and the 1970s. By the late 1990s both Maccabi and Hapoel has folded, and the only active club was Beitar Tiberias. In 2001 the club was merged with Hapoel Mo'atza Ezorit Galil Tahton to form Hapoel Galil Tahton/Tiberias. in 2007 the club changed its name to Ironi Tiberias. In 2006–07 the club finished 2nd in Liga Bet North B and was promoted through play-offs. After several season in Liga Alef North, the club qualified to the promotion play-off at the end of the 2010–11 season, falling in first round to Hapoel Asi Gilboa. The following season the club finished 2nd in Liga Alef, but didn't take part in the promotion play-offs, which involved only the league winner, Hapoel Asi Gilboa. The club finished 2nd once again in 2013–14 and qualified to the promotion play-offs, and after beating Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel, Hapoel Migdal HaEmek and Hapoel Azor, faced Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem in the decisive promotion/relegation play-offs. Tiberias won 5–1 on aggregate (3–0, 2–1), and promoted to Liga Leumit. However, the club's spell in Liga Leumit lasted only one season, as they finished second bottom in the 2014–15 season and relegated back to Liga Alef.

Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Israel

Founded

1923

Arena

Bloomfield Stadium · 29,150 cap

Hapoel Tel-Aviv Football Club (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל הפועל תל-אביב , Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Tel Aviv) is an Israeli football club based in Tel Aviv, that competes in the Israeli Premier League. The club's traditional home ground is Bloomfield Stadium. To date, the club has won thirteen championships and sixteen State Cups. In 1967 Hapoel Tel Aviv became the first club to win the Asian Club Championships. 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 3 Israeli teams to have qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage, and one of the two which 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, and the working class. For seven decades, the club was owned by the Histadrut, Israel's national trade union center.