F.C. Ashdod

Ashdod
Full name Football Club Ashdod
מועדון ספורט אשדוד‬
Nickname(s)

The Port City Team

The Dolphins
Founded 1999 (1999)
Ground Yud-Alef Stadium, Ashdod
Capacity 8,200
Owner F.C. Ashdod Supporters trust
Chairman Municipality of Ashdod
Manager Blagoja Milevski
League Israeli Premier League
2017–18 Israeli Premier League, 12th

F.C. Ashdod (Hebrew: מועדון ספורט אשדוד‬, Moadon Sport Ashdod, lit. Ashdod Sport Club or in short Hebrew: מ.ס. אשדוד‬, Mem Samekh Ashdod, lit. F.C. Ashdod) is an Israeli football club, playing in the port city of Ashdod. The unorthodox name of the team (no association, i.e. Hapoel, Maccabi, Beitar etc.) is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabi Ironi Ashdod.

History

During the club's first years, its kit colors were completely blue. When Haim Revivo took a more prominent role in the club, the colors were changed to red and yellow (which was also noted by skeptics of being Revivo's colors during his time at Galatasaray in Turkey). The decision was made that the kit should incorporate two of the previous clubs' colors, Hapoel having been red and Maccabi yellow and blue.

The club was not immediately successful after the merger, and fan support was lacking. During the 2004–05 season, they reached their greatest achievement, a third-place finish in the Israeli Premier League and a berth in the UEFA Cup. The club also reached the final of the 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 the Slovenian PrvaLiga runners-up, NK Domžale.

Prior to the 2014–15 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 against Maccabi Netanya in the last match of the regular season, the club's chairman, Jacky Ben-Zaken, decided to rename the club to Hapoel Ashdod and to play in red shirts.[1] Despite warnings from the Israel Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal,[2] Ashdod did show up for their next match, which opened the Bottom playoff, against Hapoel Ra'anana in red shirts, with the caption "F.C. Hapoel Ashdod",[3] and was eventually disciplined.[4] Furthermore, the club was punished by FIFA with six points deduction for failing to pay an arbitration award to Nigerian club, Kaduna United, for the transfer of Efe Ambrose in 2010. As a result, the club has been dropped to the bottom place in the Israeli Premier League.[5] However, in an exceptional decision, FIFA reversed its decision after it was found out that the club did pay the arbitration award.[6] 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 against Hapoel Tel Aviv.[7][8]

In the 2015–16 season, the club won Liga Leumit and made an immediate return to the Israeli Premier League.

Players

First-team squad

As of 19 August 2018.

No. Position Player
1 Israel GK Yarden Krishtul
2 Croatia DF Karlo Bručić
3 Israel MF Gil Cohen
4 Bulgaria DF Viktor Genev
5 Israel DF Nir Bardea
7 Israel FW Hen Azriel
8 Israel MF Gadi Kinda
9 Israel FW Dean David
10 Israel MF Dan Bitton
11 Israel FW Dor Galili
15 Israel DF Tom Ben Zaken
17 Israel MF Tom Mond
18 Israel FW Bentzi Moshel
19 Serbia MF Filip Knežević
20 Israel MF Aviv Solomon
No. Position Player
21 Ghana MF Leonard Owusu
22 Israel GK Yoav Jerafi
23 Israel MF Ben Reichert
24 Israel MF Ran Rubin
25 Israel MF Benel Edri
26 Israel DF Amit Bitton
30 Israel GK Omer Aguzi
77 France MF Romain Habran
90 Israel GK Roei Mishpati
92 Israel MF Yuval Jakobovich
98 Israel DF Manamto Asefa
99 Israel FW Dudu Biton
Israel MF Mohammed Kna'an
Croatia FW Josip Ivančić

Managers

European cup history

As of 29 August 2013
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
2005–06 UEFA Cup Q1 Slovenia Domžale 2–2 1–1 3–3(a)

Club personnel

Position Person
Head CoachIsrael Blagoja Milevski
Goalkeeper CoachIsrael Moshe Purnell
PhysiotherapistIsrael Naftali Harush
Fitness CoachIsrael Yoav Herzog
Fitness CoachIsrael Moshe Dameron
DoctorIsrael Haim Kovachich
Academy DirectorIsrael Tal Cohen

Kit makers

Years Kit manufacturers
2000–2007Diadora
2007–2009Sektor Sport
2009–2013Nike
2013–2014Legea
2014–2016Nike
2016–2017Jartazi
2017–Nike

References

  1. ↑ Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod Shirley Bar Dayan, Sport 5, 14 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  2. ↑ Ashdod can't change name Sport 2, 18 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  3. ↑ Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch David Nathan, Ynet, 21 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  4. ↑ Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts Sport 5, 30 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  5. ↑ In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod Ynet, 8 April 2015 (in Hebrew)
  6. ↑ Back to life: FIFA returned F.C. Ashdod the six points Motti Pshehatzki, Sport 5, 17 April 2015 (in Hebrew)
  7. ↑ No remaining in the league like this: All the numbers of F.C. Ashdod Sport 1, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)
  8. ↑ Watch: F.C. Ashdod relegated to Leumit after 18 years Erez Na'aman & Igal Berman, One, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)
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