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Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C.

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Hapoel Kfar Saba
Full nameHapoel Kfar Saba Football Club
Template:Hebrew
Nickname(s)The greens from the Sharon
Founded1928; 96 years ago (1928)
GroundLevita Stadium, Kfar Saba
Capacity5,800
OwnerItzhak Shum
ManagerErez Benodis
LeagueLiga Leumit
2023–24Liga Leumit, 14th of 16
WebsiteClub website

Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C. (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל הפועל כפר סבא, Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Kfar Saba) are an Israeli football club based in Kfar Saba. The club is currently a member of the Liga Leumit and plays its home matches at Levita Stadium.

History

The club was established in 1928. In 1951–52 they won the South Division of Liga Bet to win promotion to Liga Alef (then the top division). Three years later they finished third from bottom and had to take part in promotion/relegation play-offs with the two top clubs from the second tier. They were unbeatnd during the play-offs and retained their place in Liga Leumit (which had replaced Liga Alef as the top division). However, in 1955–56, they finished bottom and were relegated.

Hapoel made an immediate return to Liga Leumit. They finished bottom in 1957–58, but avoided the drop as no clubs were relegated. However, they finished bottom again the following season and were relegated. The club returned to Liga Leumit in 1968. In 1975, they reached the State Cup final for the first time, beating Beitar Jerusalem 1-0. After several mid-table finishes, they were relegated at the end of the 1976–77 season. They made an immediate return to the top division, finishing third in Liga Artzit (the new second tier). In 1980, they reached the State Cup final again, beating Maccabi Ramat Amidar 4–1.

In 1980–81 they narrowly avoided relegation, finishing two points and one place above the relegation zone. The following season the club won the title for the first (and only) time under the management of Dror Kashtan. However, they finished bottom the season after, and returned to Liga Artzit.

They finished as runners-up to Hapoel Haifa in 1983–84 to make another immediate return to Liga Leumit. In 1990, the club reached the State Cup final for a third time, beating Shimshon Tel Aviv 1–0 after extra time. The following season they were relegated again after finishing bottom of the table. In 1992, under the management of Avram Marchinsky, the club signed its first American player, Michael Winograd, out of Lafayette College. The club returned to the top division the following season.

In 1999–2000 they were relegated to Liga Leumit (now the second tier). They won the league in 2001–02 to return to the top division, but were relegated at the end of the following season. The club won Liga Leumit again in 2004–05, and avoided relegation on goal difference the following season. However, two seasons later they were relegated on goal difference.

For the 2010–11 season, a new owner, Harel Raihman, came on after almost 15 years of Eli Tabib's era. At the end of the regular season, the club finished on top of the league, with an advantage of thirteen points over the third place. However, in the Top playoff, where all the points obtained during the regular season were halved (and rounded up), the club failed to record a win, and finished the league in the third place, behind Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon and Hapoel Rishon LeZion which were promoted. As the third placed club, Kfar Saba went to play in the Promotion play-off against the 14th-placed club in the Israeli Premier League, Hapoel Petah Tikva, and lost both games, 1-4 and 0-1. Thus, the club remained in Liga Leumit.

In the 2012–13 season the club have entered administration, and as a result, were deducted nine points. The club finished bottom and relegated to Liga Alef, the third tier of Israeli football. With a new owner, Stav Shaham, together with former club captain, Eli Yani, and the supporters trust, "The Green Heart", the club recovered in the following season, and made an immediate return to Liga Leumit, after finishing on top of Liga Alef North division. In the following season, the club made their second successive promotion, following runners-up finish in Liga Leumit. Thus, the club returned to the Israeli Premier League after seven years.

In 2015-16 season, the team finished at 10th, but one season after (2016-17), the team finished 13th and relegated to the Liga Leumit.

Current squad

As of 10 June 2018
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Israel ISR Phillip Zmalikov
3 DF Israel ISR Haim Izrin
5 DF Israel ISR Jenia Berkman
6 DF Israel ISR Maor Gad
7 DF Israel ISR Tom Shelach
8 MF Israel ISR Danny Rozenblit
9 FW Israel ISR Yahav Afriat
10 MF Israel ISR Kevin Rainstein
11 MF Israel ISR Almog Ohayon
12 DF Israel ISR Lenny Aharon
13 GK Israel ISR Nikita Khaykin
14 MF Israel ISR Gateon Triko
16 DF Israel ISR Ben Khawaz
17 MF Israel ISR Stav Nesikovsky
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF Israel ISR Omer Fadida
19 MF Israel ISR Gal Porat
20 MF Israel ISR Dan Azaria
21 MF Israel ISR Dan Abutbul
22 GK Israel ISR Itamar Israeli
26 MF Israel ISR Omri Shekel
27 MF Israel ISR Tomer Sasonker
30 FW Israel ISR Yochai Kariv
32 DF Israel ISR Lev Cohen
41 DF Israel ISR Sahar Brown (captain)
77 MF Israel ISR Nirel Mahpud
95 FW Nigeria NGA Benjamin Kuku
FW Israel ISR Avi Katan
FW Israel ISR Ran Itzhak

Out on loan

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF Israel ISR Ilan Shaulsky (at Israel Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan)
MF Israel ISR Yogev Haity (at Israel Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan)

Staff

Position Staff
Owner Israel Itzhak Shum

Israel The supporters trust "Halev Hayarok" ("The green heart")

CEO Israel Yuval Kadosh
Board Member Israel Sharon Shum
Head Coach
Goalkeeping Coach Israel Talias Yom Tov
Technical Manager Israel Reuven Avital
Fitness Coach Israel Ran Goldig
Physio Israel Dafna Cohen
Club Doctor Israel Dr. Jonathan Koch
Logistics Israel Jacob Serolovich
Manager Youth Department Israel Amnon raz

Honours

League

Honour No. Years
Israeli Championships 1 1981–82
Second tier 5 1951–52, 1956–57, 1966–68, 2001–02, 2004–05
Third tier 1 2013–14

Cup competitions

Honour No. Years
State Cup 3 1974–75, 1979–80, 1989–90
Super Cup 1 1982

Managers

External links