During the club's first years, its kit colors were completely blue. However, when Israeli footballerHaim Revivo took a more prominent role in the club, the colors were changed to red and yellow. The decision was made that the kit should incorporate the previous two clubs' colors, Hapoel having been red and Maccabi yellow.[1]
The club was not immediately successful after the merger, and fan support was lacking. During the2004–05 season, they reached their greatest achievement, a third-place finish in theIsraeli Premier League and a berth in theUEFA Cup. The club also reached the final of theIsraeli Toto Cup, only to go out on penalty kicks. Their first time in a continental competition was not a memorable one, as they went out to theSlovenian PrvaLiga runners-up,NK Domžale.[citation needed]
Prior to the2014–15 season, the club added Ironi to its name. However, following a dispute with fans of the previous club,Maccabi Ironi Ashdod, during the 2–3 defeat againstMaccabi Netanya in the last match of the regular season, the club's chairman,Jacky Ben-Zaken, decided to rename the club toHapoel Ashdod and to play in red shirts.[2] Despite warnings from theIsrael Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal,[3] Ashdod did show up for their next match, which opened theBottom playoff, againstHapoel Ra'anana in red shirts, with the caption "F.C. Hapoel Ashdod",[4] and was eventually disciplined.[5] Furthermore, the club was punished byFIFA with six points deduction for failing to pay an arbitration award toNigerian club,Kaduna United, for the transfer ofEfe Ambrose in 2010. As a result, the club has been dropped to the bottom place in the Israeli Premier League.[6] However, in an exceptional decision, FIFA reversed its decision after it was found out that the club did pay the arbitration award.[7] At the end of the season, the club finished at the bottom of the league, after failing to register a win during their last 15 matches, and for the first time in their history, were relegated to the second tier,Liga Leumit, following a defeat of 0–1 againstHapoel Tel Aviv.[8][9]
In the2015–16 season, the club won Liga Leumit and made an immediate return to the Israeli Premier League.
Only up six non-Israeli nationals can be in an Israeli club squad (only five can play at the same time). Those with Jewish ancestry, married to an Israeli or have played in Israel for an extended period of time, can claim a passport or permanent residency which would allow them to play with Israeli status.[citation needed]
Yossi Mizrahi (2004, 21 April 2008 – 20 May 2010)
John Gregory (1 July 2010 – 18 April 2011)
Blagoja Milevski (11 May 2018 – November 2018)
Slovenia
Azerbaijan
