The 2015–16
Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit ( he, ליגה לאומית, lit. ''National League'') is the second division of the Israeli Football League, and below its Premier League.
Structure
There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the two lowest-place ...
was the 17th season as second tier since its re-alignment in 1999 and the 74th season of second-tier football in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
A total of sixteen teams were contesting in the league, including eleven sides from the
2014–15 season, the three promoted teams from
2014–15 Liga Alef and the two relegated teams from
2014–15 Israeli Premier League.
Changes from 2014–15 season
Team changes
Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv
Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C. ( he, מועדון כדורגל בני יהודה תל אביב, ''Moadon Kaduregel Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv''), commonly referred to as Bnei Yehuda (), is an Israeli football club from the Hatikva Quarter of the city of Tel ...
and
Hapoel Kfar Saba
Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C. ( he, מועדון כדורגל הפועל כפר סבא, ''Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Kfar Saba'') is an Israeli football club based in Kfar Saba. The club competes in the Liga Leumit and plays home matches at Levita Stadiu ...
, were promoted to the
2015–16 Israeli Premier League
The 2015–16 Israeli Premier League was the seventeenth season since its introduction in 1999 and the 74th season of top-tier football in Israel. It began on 22 August 2015 and ended in May 2016. Hapoel Be'er Sheva became champion after 40 year ...
.
Hapoel Petah Tikva
Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C. ( he, הפועל פתח תקווה) is an Israeli football club based in the city of Petah Tikva, currently playing in the Liga Leumit.
Its most successful period was throughout the 1950s and 1960s, in which the club won ...
and
FC Ashdod were directly relegated to the 2015–16 Liga Leumit after finishing the
2014–15 Israeli Premier League season in the bottom two places.
Hakoah Ramat Gan
Hakoah Maccabi Amidar Ramat Gan Football Club ( he, מועדון כדורגל הכח מכבי עמידר רמת גן) is an Israeli football club based in Ramat Gan. The club is currently in Liga Alef South division and plays at the Winter Stadiu ...
, and
Ironi Tiberias were directly relegated to Liga Alef after finishing in the previous season in last two league places. They were replaced by
Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem and
Hapoel Ashkelon
Hapoel Ashkelon F.C. ( he, 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 Sta ...
who finished first their respective
2014–15 Liga Alef.
Overview
Stadia and locations
The club is playing their home games at a neutral venue because their own ground does not meet Premier League requirements.
While Kiryat Gat Municipal Stadium is under construction. Maccabi Kiryat Gat will host their home games in Sala Stadium.
While Yavne Municipal Stadium is under construction. Maccabi Yavne will host their home games in Ness Ziona Stadium.
Regular season
Playoffs
Top playoff
Bottom playoff
Relegation playoff
Relegation playoff
The 14th-placed Hapoel Jerusalem faced
2015–16 Liga Alef The 2015–16 Liga Alef season saw Ironi Nesher (champions of the North Division) and Maccabi Sha'arayim (champions of the South Division) win the title and promotion to Liga Leumit.
The clubs which were ranked between 2nd to 5th places in each d ...
promotion play-offs winner, F.C. Kafr Qasim. The matches took place on May 27 and 31, 2016.
----
Hapoel Jerusalem won 3–1 on aggregate and remained in Liga Leumit. F.C. Kafr Qasim remained in Liga Alef.
Season statistics
Scoring
Source
Israel Football Association
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Discipline
*Most yellow cards:
13
**
Salem Abu Siam (
Hapoel Bnei Lod)
**
Daniel Solomon
Daniel Solomon (born 1945) is an abstract painter who uses intense, vibrant colour in his work, combined with complex, pictorial space, inspired by artists such as Jack Bush and is a painter and professor in Drawing and Painting at OCAD Univer ...
(
Maccabi Kiryat Gat)
*Most red cards:
3
**
Israel Rosh (
Hapoel Ramat Gan
Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim F.C. ( he, מועדון כדורגל הפועל רמת-גן גבעתיים, ''Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim'') is an Israeli football club from Ramat Gan and Givatayim. They currently play in Liga Leumit, ...
)
**
Uri Peso (
Hapoel Petah Tikva
Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C. ( he, הפועל פתח תקווה) is an Israeli football club based in the city of Petah Tikva, currently playing in the Liga Leumit.
Its most successful period was throughout the 1950s and 1960s, in which the club won ...
)
**
Ryan Adeleye
Ryan Alexander Hezekiah Adeleye ( he, ריאן אלכסנדר חזקיה אדלי; born April 28, 1987, in Elizabeth, New Jersey) is an American-Israeli professional soccer player who currently plays for Atlantic City FC in the National Premi ...
(
Hapoel Jerusalem
Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...
)
See also
*
2015–16 Israel State Cup
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2015-16 Liga Leumit
2
Liga Leumit seasons
Isr