Hapoel Hapoel ( he, הפועל, lit. ''the worker'') is an Israeli Jewish sports association established in 1926 by the Histadrut Labor Federation. History During the Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate of Palestine period Hapoel had a bitter rivalry ...

Ashkelon F.C. ( he, מועדון כדורגל הפועל אשקלון, ''Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Ashkelon'') is an Israeli

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based in

Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon (; Hebrew: , , ; Philistine: ), also known as Ascalon (; Ancient Greek: , ; Arabic: , ), is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with ...

. The club currently competes in

Liga Alef Liga Alef ( he, ליגה א', , League A) is the third tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into two regional divisions, north and south. History League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declar ...

and plays at the 5,250-capacity

Sala Stadium The Sala Stadium ( he, אצטדיון סלה) is a sports stadium in Ashkelon, Israel. The stadium has a 5,250 capacity, and is the home ground of Hapoel Ashkelon. On 29 December 2008, shortly before a training session, the stadium was hit by a G ...

History

After being founded in 1955, Hapoel Ashkelon spent their first few decades in the lower leagues of Israeli football. 1995–96 they won

South division and promoted to

Liga Artzit Liga Artzit ( he, ליגה ארצית, lit. ''Country League'') is the defunct third division of Israeli Football League, beneath its highest division Premier League and the second division Liga Leumit. Before being cancelled in 2009, it was run b ...

(then the second tier) and in 1996–97, they achieved second successive promotion, to

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 ...

(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 The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...

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 The Israel State Cup ( he, גביע המדינה, ''Gvia HaMedina''), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in Football in Israel, Israeli football, run by the Israel Football Association (IFA). The State Cup was first he ...

final for the first time in

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, 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

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

. In 2009–10, the club finished as runners-up in Liga Leumit and promoted back to the

. 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 SC Ashdod ( he, מועדון ספורט אשדוד, ''Moadon Sport Ashdod'', lit. Sport Club Ashdod, mainly known in Israel by the semi-acronym name , ''Mem Samekh Ashdod'', lit. S.C. Ashdod) is an Israeli football club, playing in the port cit ...

. 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 Yuval Naim ( he, יובל נעים; born 22 November 1967) is an Israeli former football player and a manager. He is of a Tunisian-Jewish descent. Career Player career Yuval Naim grew up and played as a centre back in the youth academy of Hap ...

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. Among those who have represented Argentina within the squad have been

Bryan Man Bryan Man ( he, בריאן מן; born December 8, 1983) is an Argentine-Israeli professional football (soccer) player. Biography Early life Man made aliyah with his family in 1998 under the Law of Return. His parents had a difficult time ada ...

Carlos Chacana Carlos Chacana ( he, קרלוס צ'קאנה; born 23 June 1976) is an Argentine-Israeli professional footballer who plays as a winger fo Agudat HaMakhtesh. Born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Carlos Chacana was raised in Tucumán Province in Argen ...

Naón Isidro Naón Isidro ( he, נאון איזידורו; born 12 November 1987) is an Argentine-Israeli association football player who has been a free agent since he was released from Hapoel Ashkelon in June 2011. Playing career Isidoro arrived in Israel ...

Jonny Tennenbaum Jonathan "Jonny" Tennenbaum ( he, יונתן "ג'וני" טננבאום; born 1 September 1979) is an Argentine-Israeli professional association football player currently contracted to Hapoel F.C. Sandala Gilboa. Playing career Tennenbaum arri ...

Fernando Fligman Fernando Leandro Fligman ( he, פרננדו פליגמן; born 1 September 1983) is an Argentine-Israeli association football player who is currently with Atlético Concepción. Playing career In 2004, Fligman signed a three-year contract wit ...

and

Gastón Sangoy Gastón Sangoy (born 5 October 1984) is a former professional Argentine footballer who last played as a striker for Atlètico Paraná. Career A product of the Boca Juniors youth system in Argentina, he has been loaned out for most of his you ...

Current squad

; As to 12 February 2022

Notable former players

Notable former managers

* Rafi Cohen (born 1965)

References

External links

Fansite

Hapoel Ashkelon
The Israel Football Association {{Israeli Premier League

Association football clubs established in 1955 1955 establishments in Israel Sport in Ashkelon