Maccabi Akhi Nazareth Football Club ( he, מכבי אחי נצרת, ''Mo'adon Kaduregel Maccabi Aḥi Natzrat''; ar, نادي كرة القدم اخاء الناصرة, ''Nade Korat Alqadam Maccabi Ekhaa Al-Nasera'') 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

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

. The club is currently in the and plays at the

Ilut Stadium The Ilut Stadium is a football stadium in Ilut, located near Nazareth in northern Israel. The stadium is the home ground of Maccabi Ahi Nazareth. Bnei Sakhnin, Hapoel Acre and Hapoel Nazareth Illit Hapoel Nof HaGalil Football Club (, ar ...

Ilut Ilut, also spelt ʿAilut ( ar, عيلوط; he, עִלּוּט), is an Arab local council in the Northern District of Israel. It was declared a local council in 1991. In its population was . Ilut is located to the northwest of Nazareth. The to ...

on the outskirts of the city.

History

The club was formed in 1968, and played in

Liga Gimel Liga Gimel ( he, ליגה ג', lit. ''League C'') is the fifth and bottom division of Israeli Football League, a position it has held since 2009. From Liga Alef and downwards to this, each league is separated by region as well. History Liga Gimel ...

until 1975. In 1998 they were 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), finishing eighth in

the league ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...

. In 1999–2000 and 2000–01 they finished one place above the relegation zone. The 2002–03 season saw the club claim the

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 ...

title, despite being deducted three points for playing an ineligible player, under the leadership of

Azmi Nassar Azmi Nassar ( ar, عزمي نصار, he, עזמי נסאר; 3 October 1957 – 26 March 2007) was a Palestinian football manager and served as manager of the Palestinian national football team. Professional career Palestinian National Team In o ...

. They were promoted to 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 ...

for the first time in their history. Fellow

Israeli Arab The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...

club

Bnei Sakhnin Bnei Sakhnin F.C. ( ar, اتحاد أبناء سخنين, he, איחוד בני סכנין, ''Ihud Bnei Sakhnin''; ''Ittihad Abna Sakhnin'', ) is an Israeli football club based at the Doha Stadium in Sakhnin. They are the most successful club ...

were also promoted, marking the first time two Arab clubs had been in the top division. However, in their first season in the top division, the club finished bottom and were relegated back to Liga Leumit. The following season they were relegated again (due to a two-point deduction), and dropped back into the third division. In 2005–06 they finished as Liga Artzit runners-up, to make an immediate return to Liga Leumit, where they have remained since. In 2008–09, the club was promoted to the

. After one of the worst seasons in the

the club finished in the last spot of the league, In the last match she lost to

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, ...

0–7 and were directly relegated to

for the 2010–11 season. In the

2014–15 Israel State Cup The 2014–15 Israel State Cup ( he, גביע המדינה, ''Gvia HaMedina'') was the 76th season of Israel's nationwide football cup competition and the 61st after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The competition began on 10 September 20 ...

, the club reached the Semi-finals for the first time in their history, after eliminating

Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Netanya F.C. ( he, מועדון כדורגל מכבי נתניה, ''Football Club Maccabi Netanya'') is an Israeli football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949. Afte ...

FC Ashdod Moadon Sport Ashdod ( he, מועדון ספורט אשדוד, ''Sport Club Ashdod''), commonly referred to as MS Ashdod (, ''Mem Samekh Ashdod''), is an Israeli professional Association football, football club, playing in the port city of Ashd ...

, 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 ...

. However, in the

Semi-finals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

, they were beaten 0–3 by the eventual cup winners,

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...

Teddy Stadium Teddy Stadium ( he, אצטדיון טדי) is a sports stadium in the Malha neighborhood of Jerusalem. Three football teams currently use the stadium: Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Jerusalem, and the Israel national football team for select home match ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

Current squad

''As of 1 March 2023''.

Out on loan

Past managers

Yehoshua Feigenbaum Yehoshua "Shiye" Feigenbaum ( he, יהושע "שייע" פייגנבוים, born 5 December 1947) is a former Israeli football player. As a striker, he holds many records with Israel national football team. Honours As a Player *Israeli Premier ...

Michael Kadosh Michael "Lufa" Kadosh ( he, מיכאל "לופא" קדוש; April 23, 1940 – April 29, 2014) was an Israeli footballer who also worked as the manager of Hapoel Jerusalem.

* Eli Mahpud * John Gregory *

Adham Hadiya Adham Hadiya ( ar, أدهم هدية, he, אדהם האדיה, born 12 February 1985) is a former Arab-Israeli footballer who is currently the manager of Maccabi Bnei Reineh. Honours *Liga Leumit Liga Leumit ( he, ליגה לאומית, l ...

Motti Ivanir Motti Ivanir ( he, מוטי איוניר; born March 18, 1964) represented Israel at national level football player and is currently a manager. Playing career Club Ivanir became the first professional Israeli footballer in the Netherlands when ...

Shlomi Dora Shlomi Dora ( he, שלומי דורה; born June 22, 1973, in Haifa) is an Israeli football manager. His younger brother is the footballer Yossi Dora who was play for Hapoel Haifa F.C., Hapoel Haifa. Honours As manager *Liga Leumit (1): **2008� ...

Tal Banin Tal Banin ( he, טל בנין; born March 7, 1971) is an Israeli retired football player and currently the manager of Maccabi Ahi Nazareth. Banin played as a defensive midfielder. A captain for the Israeli National Team for many years, Banin was ...

Honours

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 ...

: **Winners (1): 1997–98 *

: **Winners (1): 2002–03 *

: **''Runners-up (1):'' 2005–06

External links

Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
Israel Football Association {{Israeli Premier League Sport in Nazareth Ahi Nazareth F.C. Ahi Nazareth F.C. Association football clubs established in 1967 1967 establishments in Israel Arab-Israeli football clubs