F.C. Ashdod Explained

Clubname:F.C. Ashdod
Upright:0.95
Fullname:Sport Club Ashdod
Hebrew: מועדון ספורט אשדוד
Moadon Sport Ashdod
Nickname:Hebrew: הדולפינים (The Dolphins)
Hebrew: הקבוצה מעיר הנמל (The Port City Team)
Ground:Yud-Alef Stadium, Ashdod
Capacity:7,800
Owner:M.S. Ashdod Supporters trust
Chairman:Rafi Niddam
Manager:Eli Levi
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Website:https://www.fcashdod.co.il/

Moadon Sport Ashdod (Hebrew: מועדון ספורט אשדוד, Sport Club Ashdod), commonly referred to as MS Ashdod (Hebrew: מ.ס. אשדוד, Mem Samekh Ashdod), is an Israeli professional football club, playing in the port city of Ashdod. The unusual name of the team (unlike most Israeli football teams, this one only indicates the club's home city without any specific Jewish sporting association, such as Hapoel, Maccabi, or Beitar) is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabi Ironi Ashdod in 1999. The club currently plays in the Israeli Premier League (Ligat Ha'Al).

History

During the club's first years, its kit colors were completely blue. However, when Israeli footballer Haim 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 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 Israeli 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.[2] Despite warnings from the Israel Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal,[3] 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",[4] and was eventually disciplined.[5] 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.[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 against Hapoel Tel Aviv.[8] [9]

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

Players

Current squad

Updated 28 July 2024.

Foreigners 2023–24

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.

Managers

European cup history

See main article: F.C. Ashdod in European football.

SeasonCompetitionRoundCountryClubHomeAwayAggregate
2005–06UEFA CupQ2 SloveniaDomžalealign=center bgcolor=lightyellow2–2align=center bgcolor=lightyellow1–1align=center bgcolor=lightpink3–3 (a)
2021–22UEFA Europa Conference LeagueQ2 AzerbaijanQarabağalign=center bgcolor=lightpink0–1align=center bgcolor=lightyellow0–0align=center bgcolor=lightpink0–1

Club personnel

PositionPerson
Head Coach Eli Levi
Assistant Coach Avraham Engels
Assistant Coach Gavriel Luzon
Assistant Coach Yoav Weber
Goalkeeper Coach Moshe Peretz
Physiotherapist Ofir Talheimer
Fitness Coach Yuval Zakaria
Fitness Coach Roy Sorenstein
Doctor Guy Levy
Academy Director Barak Goldberg

Kit makers

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-04-25 . Maccabi pummels Hapoel 5-0 to take Tel Aviv Derby as late first half red card dooms Reds . 2022-06-17 . Sports Rabbi . en-US.
  2. http://www.sport5.co.il/articles.aspx?FolderID=64&docID=186428&lang=HE Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod
  3. https://archive.today/20150409124405/http://sport1.maariv.co.il/content/128198 Ashdod can't change name
  4. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4639381,00.html Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch
  5. http://www.sport5.co.il/articles.aspx?FolderID=64&docID=187397&lang=HE Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts
  6. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4645347,00.html In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod
  7. http://www.sport5.co.il/articles.aspx?FolderID=64&docID=188394 Back to life: FIFA returned F.C. Ashdod the six points
  8. http://sport1.maariv.co.il/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%94/134806 No remaining in the league like this: All the numbers of F.C. Ashdod
  9. http://www.one.co.il/Article/14-15/1,1,5,0/251055.html?ref=hp Watch: F.C. Ashdod relegated to Leumit after 18 years