F.C. Ashdod

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.

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. Despite warnings from the Israel Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal, 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", and was eventually disciplined. 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. However, in an exceptional decision, FIFA reversed its decision after it was found out that the club did pay the arbitration award. 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.

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

Players

Current squad

Updated 29 January, 2026.

Other players under contract

Out on loan

Other players under contract

Notable former players

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.

• CMR Martin Atemengue
• GHA Ebenezer Mamatah
• SCO Clark Robertson
• UGA Timothy Awany

Managers

• Israel Yossi Mizrahi (2004, 21 April 2008 – 20 May 2010)
• England John Gregory (1 July 2010 – 18 April 2011)
• Israel Yossi Mizrahi (18 April 2011 – 30 June 2013)
• Israel Nir Klinger (1 July 2013 – 7 June 2015)
• Israel Eyal Lahman (7 June 2015 – 18 December 2015)
• Israel Ronny Awat (18 December 2015 – 14 February 2017)
• Israel Ran Ben Shimon (14 February 2017 – 5 July 2017)
• Israel Yossi Mizrahi (16 July 2017 – 3 August 2017) (caretaker)
• Israel Reuven Atar (3 August 2017 – 3 October 2017)
• Israel Amir Turgeman (10 October 2017 – 24 April 2018)
• Israel Yossi Mizrahi (24 April 2018 – 11 May 2018)
• Macedonia Blagoja Milevski (11 May 2018 – November 2018)
• Israel Yuval Naim (November 2018 – January 2019)
• Israel Moshe Ohayon (January 2019 – February 2019)
• Israel Avi Buchbut (February 2019 – June 2019)
• Israel Ronny Awat (June 2019 – January 2020)
• Israel Ran Ben Shimon (January 2020 – June 2023)
• Israel Eli Levi (July 2023 – January 2025)

European cup history

Main article: F.C. Ashdod in European football

Club personnel

Kit makers

References

References

1. (2022-04-25). "Maccabi pummels Hapoel 5-0 to take Tel Aviv Derby as late first half red card dooms Reds".
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3. [https://archive.today/20150409124405/http://sport1.maariv.co.il/content/128198 Ashdod can't change name] Sport 2, 18 March 2015 {{in lang. he
4. [http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4639381,00.html Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch] David Nathan, Ynet, 21 March 2015 {{in lang. he
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6. [http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4645347,00.html In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod] Ynet, 8 April 2015 {{in lang. he
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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] {{Webarchive. link. (4 March 2016 Sport 1, 16 May 2015 {{in lang). he
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