Tel Aviv derby

Tel Aviv derby

Hapoel Tel Aviv fans during a local derby
Location	Tel Aviv (Israel)
Teams	Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv
First meeting	30'S
Latest meeting	Maccabi Win, 1–0 (16 December 2013 )
Statistics
Meetings total	?
Most wins	?
Most player appearances	?
All-time series	?

The Tel Aviv derby refers to football matches between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Other matches between top-tier teams from Tel Aviv, currently Bnei Yehuda, and in the past also Beitar Tel Aviv and Shimson Tel Aviv, and between those other teams and either Maccabi or Hapoel are usually referred to as the Tel Aviv mini-derby

The rivalry between the clubs also exists in basketball, although Maccabi have been the dominant club in Israeli basketball since the 1960s.

History

Hapoel and Maccabi Tel Aviv have together won 32 championships and 38 national cups. Both clubs have played in the top division of Israeli football both before and since independence in 1948, with the exception of the 1989–90 season, when Hapoel played in the second tier following relegation the previous season. The first derby between the teams was played on 27 February 1928 and ended in a 3–0 win for Maccabi. The first league encounter between the teams was held on 19 December 1931, and the points were shared with a result of 1–1. The two clubs met 8 times at the Israeli State Cup final, most recently at the 1994–95 Israel State Cup Final.

As of December 2013 there had been 142 derby games, with Maccabi winning 46 games, Hapoel winning 45 games, and 51 games ended with a draw. Maccabi led the overall derby standings until the start of the 21st century, with Hapoel gaining a superior record for the first time in 2010.

The rivalry between the traditional background of the Hapoel and Maccabi sports associations led to the development of the rivalry between the clubs. The two clubs have different support bases; Hapoel are linked to the working-class, whilst Maccabi are considered a more middle class club.

Both clubs currently play at the Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa. When Hapoel Tel Aviv are the home team in the derby sections 10-11, are reserved for fans of Maccabi. When Maccabi Tel Aviv are the home team, sections 4-5 are reserved for fans of Hapoel.