Maccabi Sha'arayim ( he, מכבי שעריים) is an Israeli
football club
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
from the city
Rehovot
Rehovot ( he, רְחוֹבוֹת ''Rəḥōvōt'', ar, رحوڤوت ''Reḥūfūt'') is a city in the Central District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. In it had a population of .
Etymology
Israel Belkind, founder of the Bilu movement, ...
, currently playing in
Liga Alef.
The club spent the past seven seasons in the top division from 1963 to 1969, and a single season in
1985–86.
History
The club was promoted to
Liga Leumit (then the top division) for the first time in 1963. In their
first season in the league they finished 11th out of 15. The
following season the club finished sixth, which remains their highest ever league position.
In the
1965–66 season they narrowly avoided relegation, finishing one place above the relegation zone. In 1969 Maccabi reach the cup final for the first (and to date only) time, but lost 1–0 to
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 ...
. In the
same season they finished second bottom of the league and were relegated back to
Liga Alef.
The final match of the
1971–72 season saw the club have a chance to return to the top flight, but they lost 2–1 to
Hapoel Marmorek, which were promoted instead. Two years later they qualified for the
promotion/relegation play-offs, but failed to win any of their five matches and finished bottom of the group.
At the end of the
1977–78 season they finished bottom of
Liga Artzit (the second division) and were relegated to Liga Alef (now the third tier).
At the end of the
1983–84 season they won Liga Alef South division and returned to Liga Artzit, and won a second consecutive promotion in the
following season, returning to
Liga Leumit for the first time in 16 years. However, they
finished bottom, and were relegated back to Liga Artzit.
The club dropped back into the third tier at the end of the
1992–93 season, and were relegated to the fourth tier at the end of the
2000–01 season, before dropping into
Liga Bet, the fifth tier, at the end of the
2005–06 season. At the end of the
2011–12 season the club returned to Liga Alef (now the third tier), following a victory of 2–1 against
Hapoel Azor
Hapoel Azor ( he, הפועל אזור) is an Israeli football club based in Azor. The club currently plays in Liga Alef South division.
History
The club was founded in 1954, and in 1959 was promoted to Liga Bet, the third tier of Israeli foo ...
in the promotion play-off.
Sha'arayim promoted to Liga Alef after beating Azor
One, 10.5.2012
In the 2015–16 season, the club won Liga Alef South division and promoted to Liga Leumit. Thus, the club returned to the second tier of Israeli football after 23 years.
Current squad
; As of 15 August 2022
Honours
* Third tier
**Champions: 1955–56, 1959–60, 1983–84, 2015–16
* Fourth tier
**Champions: 2011–12
*Toto Cup Leumit
The Israel Toto Cup ( he, גביע הטוטו, ''Gvia Ha'Toto'') is an association football tournament that features clubs in the two highest divisions in Israel: the Israeli Premier League ( Ligat Ha'Al), and the second division Liga Leumit.
Fro ...
**Winner: 2016-17
See also
* :Maccabi Sha'arayim F.C. players
References
External links
Club websiteMaccabi Sha'arayim
Israel Football Association
{{Liga Alef
Sha'arayim F.C.
Sha'arayim F.C.
Sport in Rehovot
Association football clubs established in 1950
1950 establishments in Israel