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| Full name | Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Hapoel The Reds Workers | |||
| Short name | HTA | |||
| Founded | 1923; 102 years ago (1923) | |||
| Ground | Bloomfield Stadium,Tel Aviv, Israel | |||
| Capacity | 29,400 | |||
| Owner | Edmond M. Safra | |||
| Manager | Elyaniv Barda | |||
| League | Israeli Premier League | |||
| 2024–25 | Liga Leumit, 1st of 16 (promoted) | |||
| Website | www | |||
Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club (Hebrew:מועדון כדורגל הפועל תל אביב,Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Tel Aviv) is an Israeli professionalfootball club based inTel Aviv that competes in theIsraeli Premier League. The club's traditional home ground isBloomfield Stadium. To date, the club has won 13 championships and 16State Cups. In 1967, Hapoel Tel Aviv became the first club to win theAsian Champion Club Tournament.
Since 1995, the club hascompeted in European club competitions, and has the highest rank among all Israeli clubs, with some outstanding achievements, such as wins againstChelsea,Milan,Hamburg,Paris Saint-Germain,Benfica,Rangers, andCeltic. It is also one of only three Israeli teams to have qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage, and one of the two that are ordinary members of theEuropean Club Association.
The club name, "Hapoel", translates to "The Worker", and combined with its redHammer and sickle badge represents the club ties toMarxism,socialism,Labor Zionism, and theworking class. For seven decades, the club was owned by theHistadrut, Israel'snational trade union centre.
Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. was originally established in 1923, but was disbanded soon after. The club was re-formed in 1925, and then for a third time in May 1926.[1] In 1927 the club merged with Allenby F.C., giving the club its modern form. It is part of theHapoel sports association which was affiliated with the Histadrut, and supporters of the club were often referred to as communists.[2]
In 1928 the club reached thePalestine Cup final (the first one to be recognised by theIsrael Football Association). Although they beat Maccabi Hasmonean Jerusalem 2–0, Hapoel fielded an ineligible player, resulting in the cup being shared.[3]
The1933–34 saw the club win the double,[4] finishing as champions of thePalestine League, winning every match, the only Palestinian club to have achieved such a feat,[1] and winners of the cup, beating local rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–2 in the final. The1934–35 season saw Hapoel led the league table, but the championship was abandoned and they were not declared champions.[4] The1937–38 season ended the same way, with Hapoel top of the league, but the season abandoned. Meanwhile, the club won the cup again in 1937, 1938, and 1939, and remain the only club to have won the trophy in three successive seasons (although theRoyal Air Force won it four consecutive seasons (1924 to 1927), pre-1928 wins are unrecognised by the IFA).
In1939–40, they won their second championship. The following season no national championships were held, but the club won the tournament for Hapoel-affiliated clubs. They won a third championship in the 1943–44 season, and in the following year won the northern region league,[4] as well as what became known as the "War Cup", which was boycotted byBeitar-affiliated clubs. In the cup final Hapoel were leadingHapoel Petah Tikva 1–0, but the match was abandoned on 89 minutes when a Petah Tikva player refused to leave the pitch after being sent off for insulting the referee.[3]
FollowingIsraeli independence, Hapoel joined the newIsraeli League. They won the title in1956–57 and the State Cup in 1961, beating Hapoel Petah Tikva 2–1.
In the1965–66 season Hapoel won the title, and qualified for the first Asian Club Championships. Inthe tournament Hapoel were given byes all the way to the final, where they beatSelangor 2–1 to become Asia's first club champions. The club also reached the State Cup final that year, but lost 2–1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hapoel won the title again in1968–69, and again qualified for the Asian Club championships. Although they reached the final, they lost 2–1 toIranian sideTaj Tehran[5] (in an era when Iran and Israel had diplomatic relations). They won the State Cup again in 1972, beatingHapoel Jerusalem 1–0 in the final, but did not win the title again until1980–81, when they missed out on the double after losing the cup final 4–3 on penalties (after a 2–2 draw) toBnei Yehuda. The following season they reached the cup final again, but lost 1–0 toHapoel Yehud. A hat-trick of cup final defeats was avoided when they beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–2 in the 1982 final.
Another title was won in1985–86, and another in1987–88. However, the following season Hapoel finished bottom of the league (with a four-point deduction for breaking budget rules) and were relegated to thesecond tier for the first time in their history.
The club made an immediate return to the top division as Liga Artzit runners-up, though they only beatMaccabi Yavne to the second promotion slot ongoal difference.[6] In1997–98 Hapoel finished second, and qualified for Europe for the second time. In the1998–99 UEFA Cup Hapoel knocked outFinnPa, before losing on penalties toStrømsgodset. In the same season they won the State Cup, beatingBeitar Jerusalem 3–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.
The1999–2000 season saw Hapoel win the double, claiming their first title in over a decade and winning the State Cup (beating Beitar Jerusalem on penalties again). However, they failed to reach the group stages of theChampions League after being beaten 5–1 on aggregate bySturm Graz. They finished second in the league in2000–01 and2001–02 and third in2002–03, qualifying for the UEFA Cup on each occasion. In the2001–02 UEFA Cup Hapoel reached the quarter-finals after knocking outChelsea,Lokomotiv Moscow andParma. Although they beatA.C. Milan 1–0 in the home leg (a match which had to be played in theGSP Stadium in Cyprus as UEFA did not allow matches to be held in Israel due to security reasons), Hapoel lost the away leg 2–0.
In 2002 the club won its firstToto Cup. They won the State Cup in 2006, beating Bnei Yehuda 1–0 in the final, and also won it the following season, when they defeated second divisionHapoel Ashkelon on penalties. They reached the final again in 2007–08, but lost 5–4 on penalties to Beitar Jerusalem after a 0–0 draw.
In2009–10, the club won the double, claiming theState Cup after a 3–1 victory overBnei Yehuda. The title was won after a dramatic game againstBeitar Jerusalem on the final day of the season, withEran Zahavi scoring the title-winning goal two minutes into injury time. The club also had a successful season in theEuropa League, winning their group, before losing toRubin Kazan in the second round. The following season they reached the group stages of theChampions League for the first time, but failed to advance to the next round. at the same season the team reached to the second place and won theIsraeli State Cup for the second time in row.
In the beginning of season2011–12 most of the successful players of the team left and spread at Europe, also the Team's managerEli Guttman left too. The club's legendary coach,Dror Kashtan, returned and new players came as part of the transfer of ownership of the club to Eli Tabib. During the season there was tension between the managerDror Kashtan and Eli Tabib, which led to the manager's departure and current Manager was appointed in his place,Nitzan Shirazi, who led the team winning theIsraeli State Cup for the third time in a row. After large-scale protests of the fans against the club's owner Tabib and his unprofessional conduct, he decided to leave the club after one year and sold it toHaim Ramon and to thesupporters' trust called "Haadumim", "The Reds" in Hebrew, that establish at the summer of 2012 and raise 2 million shekel for 20% of the ownership. The other part of the club sold to several other businessmen. Altogether the club sold at summer 2012 for 12 millionNIS (about$ 3 Million).At the beginning of season2012–13,Yossi Abuksis was appointed coach in place of Nitzan Shirazi, who appointed professional manager due to his health reasons. On 1 July 2015, the club was bought byAmir Gross Kabiri. Due to financial problems Kabiri and the club split. 2023 the Mintzberg group is announced as new owner.[7][8]
After playing at three different stadiums, the club moved to theBasa Stadium in 1950, after the1948 Arab-Israeli War. In 1962 the ground was renovated using donation from the Bloomfield family, thus receiving its official name. The ground was owned by Tel Aviv histadrut branch, who were also owners of Hapoel, although today it is a municipal stadium.
The stadium, located in Jaffa, is an upgraded version of the older stadium called "Basa". The first match at Bloomfield was played on 12 December 1962 againstFC Twente, the game ending in a 1–1 draw. The stadium is currently shared with city rivals Maccabi (who moved to the ground in 1963) and Bnei Yehuda (since 2004).
Hapoel main fans' gate is gate 5, where Ultras Hapoel lead the cheering, and away crowds sit oppositely, on Gate 11. Another traditional Hapoel fans' gate is gate 7.
The club is the standard-bearer of the Israeli left and far-left. It was the last club to cut formal links with politics, in this case the trade union movement and the moderateSocial Democratic Labor PartyMapai, as well more radical parties such as theMarxist PartyMapam, its predecessorHashomer Hatzair Workers Party, and theMarxist-Leninist Israeli Communist Party (Maki).[9][10][11][12]
Ultras Hapoel often wave flags emblazoned with the faces ofChe Guevara andKarl Marx, as well as banners with the slogan "Workers of the world, unite!"[13] The club ultras has friendships with many otherantifa supporter groups, including strong bonds with fans ofFC St. Pauli,Standard Liège andOmonia Nicosia.[9][10][11][12] In May 2013 Ultras' members founded the band "Lea Katmin" which sang songs from the stands of the fans.[14]
AHaaretz poll published in June 2011 identified Hapoel Tel Aviv as the second most popular football team amongIsraeli Arabs, behindMaccabi Haifa.[15]
Another survey had been conducted in March 2012 byYedioth showed that Hapoel is the fourth most popular team among Israeli football fans (nineteen percent). The same survey revealed that thirty-two percent of Tel Aviv residents support the team.[16]
Hapoel's most famous supporter wasArik Einstein who referenced the club in several of his songs, and following the club's double win in 2000, sang their championship song "My Red Team".
Hapoel's main rivals areMaccabi Tel Aviv, whose rivalry is known as theTel Aviv derby.
Another rivalry withBeitar Jerusalem which is a political rivalry, which is considered (and considers itself) the team of theIsraeli far-right.[9][10][11][12]
As of 27 September 2025
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Only up to six non-Israeli nationals can be in an Israeli club, but only five can play at the same time on the pitch. 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.
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 1951 |  Shimon Zimmerman (MF) |
| 1967 | Haim Nurieli (MF) |
| 1971 | Shimon Ben Yehonathan (DF) |
| 1972–1979 | Yehoshua Feigenbaum (FW) |
| 1983–1987 | Moshe Sinai (MF) |
| 1990 | Yaakov Ekhoiz (DF) |
| 1993–1994 | Haim Revivo (MF) |
| 1994–1995 | Ya'akov Schwartz (MF) |
| 1995–1997 | Guy Sharabi (DF) |
| 1997–1999 | Felix Halfon (DF) |
| 1999–2006 | Shimon Gershon (DF) |
| 2006–2007 | Yossi Abuksis (MF) |
| 2007–2013 | Walid Badir (DF) |
| 2013–2015 | Shay Abutbul (MF) |
| 2015–2016 |  Mihai Pintilii (MF) |
| 2016 | Ariel Harush (GK) Nemanja Nikolić (MF) |
| 2016–2018 | Avihai Yadin (MF) |
| 2018–2020 | Orel Dgani (DF) |
| 2020–2021 | Omri Altman (MF) |
| 2021-2024 | Dan Einbinder (MF) |
| 2024-2025 |  Goran Antonić (DF)Robi Levkovich (GK) |
| 2025- |  Fernand Mayembo (DF) |
| Position | Name | Peroid | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ya'akov Ekhoiz | 1974–92 | 454 | 12 |
| 2 | Aryeh Bajareno | 1968–85 | 430 | 0 |
| 3 | Yehoshua Feigenbaum | 1964–79 | 368 | 142 |
| 4 | Yigal Antebi | 1999–09 2012-14 | 351 | 9 |
| 5 | Shavit Elimelech | 1996–07 | 344 | 0 |
| 6 | Yaakov Rahaminovich | 1966–80 | 332 | 30 |
| 7 | Yehezkel Chazom | 1964–77 | 324 | 97 |
| Position | Name | Peroid | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yehoshua Feigenbaum | 1964–79 | 368 | 142 |
| 2 | Yehezkel Chazom | 1964–77 | 324 | 97 |
| 3 | Moshe Sinai | 1980–89 1990-93 | 290 | 87 |
| 4 | Rehavia Rozenbaum | 1951–65 | 78 | |
| 5 | Omer Damari | 2011–14 2018-2020 | 115 | 59 |
| 6 | Shabtay Levi | 1977–88 | 247 | 58 |
| 7 | Gidon Tish | 1955-66 1968-69 | 55 |
| Coaching staff | |
|---|---|
| Elyaniv Barda | Head Coach |
Salim Tuama David Semenigo GarciaDušan Matović Avichai Kalif | Assistant Coaches |
| Jenia Dunayev | Goalkeeping Coach |
| Ofer Nir | Head of Data and Analysis |
| Tal Anouk | Chief Analyst |
| Yarden Ashkenazi | Analyst |
| Fitness coaches | |
| Julio Martinez | Fitness Coach |
| Tal Wilik | |
| Medical department | |
| Dr. Elad Afshtain | Team doctor |
| Dr. Yariv Price | |
| Dr. Nagib Shaker | |
| Tomer Basan | Physiotherapists |
| Alon Magdasi | |
| Yair Shinior | Sports therapists |
| Dan Safrari | |
| Asi Elsdadi | Masseur |
| Sport management and Organisation | |
| Guy Primor | Chief Executive Officer |
| Omer Buchsenbaum | Technical Director |
 Ivan Slavov | Chief Scout |
| Maor Ben Chaim | Logistics |
| Ben Cohen | |
| Noa Shneitzer | Nutritionist |
| Maor Asaf | Team Chef |
Monia Goldstein (1947–??)Musta Poliakov (1949–??)Zvi Erlich (1950–??)
Ivan Jazbinšek (1956–57)Edmond Schmilovich (1958–60)
Jenő Kalmár (1960–62)
Harry Game (1963–64)David Schweitzer (1965–66)Yosef Merimovich (1966–68)Rehavia Rosenbaum (1968–70)Harry Game (1971–74)Shimon Ben Yehonathan (1974–75)Rehavia Rosenbaum (1975–76)Yosef Merimovich (1977–79)David Schweitzer (1980–82)Zvi Rosen (1982–83)Mordechai Spiegler (1984)David Schweitzer (1986–87)David Schweitzer (1989–90)Shimon Shenhar (1990)Moshe Sinai (1991–96)Ya'akov Grundman (1992)Yehoshua Feigenbaum (1993–94)Dror Kashtan (1 July 1996 – 30 June 1997)Eli Cohen (1 July 1997 – 30 June 1999)Dror Kashtan (1 July 1999 – 30 June 2004)Gili Landau (June 2004 – 4 Dec)Shmuel Hanin (15 Nov 2004 – 31 Dec 2004)Yehoshua Feigenbaum (Dec 2004 – 5 June 2005)Dror Kashtan (1 July 2005 – 31 Dec 2005)Itzhak Shum (1 July 2006 – 31 Dec 2006)Nir Levine (Dec 2006 – 7 June 2007)Guy Luzon (1 July 2007 – 15 Jan 2008)Eli Guttman (Dec 2007 – 25 May 2011)Dror Kashtan (4 June 2011 – 9 Jan 2012)Nitzan Shirazi (11 Jan 2012 – Sept 27, 2012)Yossi Abukasis (Sept 27, 2012 – 17 Feb 2013)Freddy David (18 Feb 2013 – 18 May 2013)Ran Ben Shimon (20 May 2013 – 26 May 2014)Asi Domb (26 May 2014 – 24 January 2015)Eli Cohen (24 January 2015 – 5 November 2015)Guy Levy (5 November 2015 – January 2016)Eli Guttman (January 2016 – September 2016)Guy Luzon (September 2016 – 11 January 2017)Meni Koretski (11 January 2017 – 16 May 2017)Moti Ivanir (26 May 2017 – 26 October 2017)Kobi Refua (30 October 2017 - 26 November 2018)Ofir Haim (27 November 2018 - 6 January 2019)Kobi Refua (7 January 2019 - 16 May 2019)Nisso Avitan (16 May 2019 - 5 November 2019)Nir Klinger (5 November 2019 - 19 December 2021)Kobi Refua (19 December 2021 - 18 September 2022)Slobodan Drapić (19 September 2022 - 10 January 2023)Haim Silvas (11 January 2023 - 16 May 2023)
Michael Valkanis (4 June 2023 - 30 October 2023)Borja Lema (30 October 2023 - 27 January 2024)Salim Tuama (Interim) (27 January 2024 - 6 February 2024)Yossi Abukasis (6 February 2024 - 28 April 2024)Salim Tuama (Interim) (28 April 2024 - 2 June 2024)Messay Dego (2 June 2024 - 9 December 2024)Elyaniv Barda (9 December 2024 -| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Championships | 13 | 1933–34,1934–35,1938–39,1940,1943–44,1956–57,1965–66,1968–69,1980–81,1985–86,1987–88,1999–2000,2009–10 |
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| State Cup | 16 | 1928,1934,1937,1938,1939,1944,1960–61,1971–72,1982–83,1998–99,1999–2000,2005–06,2006–07,2009–10,2010–11,2011–12 |
| Toto Cup (top division) | 1 | 2001–02 |
| Super Cup | 5 | 1957,1966,1969,1970,1981 |
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| AFC Champions League | 1/1 | Winner:1967 Runners-up:1970 |
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Shapira Cup | 1 | 1954–55[17] |
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Israeli Noar Premier League | 5 | 1944–45,1965–66,1977–78,1980–81,1989–90 |
| Israel Youth State Cup | 8 | 1959–60,1967–68,1985–86,1989–90,1991–92,2008–09,2014–15,2018–19 |
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inaugural Champions | Champions of Asia 1967 | Succeeded by |
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