The club has been honored with the President’s Award in Sports: “Stood out through its deep emotional connection with the community during the war”

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv Football Club received the President of Israel’s Award for excellence in social and community work in the 2024/25 season.

At the ceremony held at the President’s Residence, in the presence of the President of the State of Israel, Mr. Isaac (Bougie) Herzog, his wife Michal, and Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar, the award was accepted by club CEO Guy Primor, Head of Community Relations Ortal Butbika, and first-team player Dor Benyamini.

The awarding committee noted: “The club stood out through its deep emotional connection with the community during the war, leading significant initiatives including ‘Equals in Sport’ for the inclusion of people with disabilities and support for survivors of the Nova festival. The club also engaged in commemorative activities alongside ongoing support for families and fans”.

Much more than football!

Photo: Values in Sports Association

An emotional ceremony was held in memory of the team’s supporter, the late Yair Eliyahu, who fell about two months ago. His family came onto the pitch to receive a token of appreciation from the club.

Last night, we paid tribute to the late Yair Eliyahu, a devoted fan of the team who fell in the Gaza Strip during operational activity two months ago.

Yair served in the Combat Engineering Corps as a heavy engineering equipment operator. Throughout the fighting, he entered the Strip dozens of times and fought with great courage.

The motto of the Combat Engineering Corps is “Always First,” and that is exactly who Yair was: the first to take on every mission and every need that arose, in the army and beyond. He was a born leader, a true go-getter, and above all, a joyful person. His trademarks were his big smile—and of course, his deep love for Hapoel Tel Aviv.

At the age of 13, Yair joined the club’s football academy and fell in love with the red colors. From then on, he attended every match without fail, no matter the place or time. He was a dedicated season-ticket holder in Gate 5, always singing and drumming the chants from the stands.

To his parents, Chava and Yaniv, his sister Michal, and the entire Eliyahu family—you will forever be part of the Hapoel Tel Aviv family. You’ll never walk alone 

How do you sum up a night like this? Few could have predicted it, but when Hapoel beats Beitar with a dramatic late comeback, it’s impossible not to celebrate.

Coach Eliniv Breda praised his team’s second-half performance:
"We managed to finish the game in a way that was both dramatic and positive. After a balanced first half, my team put on a show. We hit two posts, had several chances, and even if we had lost, I would still say I enjoyed watching my players. It was dramatic, but we deserved the win."

Breda added: "The atmosphere was electrifying, and the players were focused from minute one. We worked hard this week to improve, and we hope to build continuity. For now, we celebrate, but soon we’ll start preparing for the match against M.S. Ashdod on Saturday."

Winning goal scorer Omri Altman was visibly moved:
"A rush of emotion, patience, happiness – I haven’t felt this way in a long time. Stav asked me if I could take the shot, and I told him I’d score. From the bench, they were shouting for me, and I’m here to serve the club. I’m thrilled to be part of something special."

Next up: M.S. Ashdod on Saturday at 19:45.

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv clinched a dramatic and sweet 3–2 victory over Beitar Jerusalem tonight, thanks to a stunning 98th-minute winner by Omri Altman

After a two-week international break, Hapoel returned to Bloomfield Stadium, backed by the mighty Red Army, for the big clash against their fierce rivals from Jerusalem.

Hapoel entered the match without the suspended Shanda Silva, yet already in the first half showed slight superiority. In the 26th minute, following a VAR review, a penalty was awarded to the Reds. Stav Turiel converted calmly from the spot – his third goal in as many matches – to give Hapoel a 1–0 lead.

In stoppage time of the first half, almost out of nowhere, Beitar managed to equalize with their first dangerous chance, sending the teams into the break at 1–1.

The second half was completely dominated by Hapoel, who missed three golden opportunities and hit the crossbar twice. But in the 78th minute, against the run of play and from yet another set-piece, Beitar scored to take a 2–1 lead.

Then came the great drama. In the 90th minute, when it seemed Hapoel were heading for defeat, Andrian Kraiev rose high and powered a header into the net – 2–2. Just eight minutes later, Omri Altman stepped up and curled a perfect free kick into the goal, turning Bloomfield into a sea of red celebration.

Hapoel recorded tonight one of their sweetest and most dramatic wins ever against Beitar – from an almost certain loss to an unforgettable triumph, a huge 3–2 that adds another thrilling chapter to this historic rivalry.

With the win, Hapoel move up to third place in the standings with 7 points after three matches and a goal difference of 7:5 (+2).

Hapoel lineup:
Asaf Tzur, Shahar Piven (Anas Mahamid – 84’), Fernand Mayembo {C}, Chico, Doron Leidner (Yazan Nassar – 84’), Lucas Falcao (Mor Buskila – 80’), Andrian Kraiev, Ran Benjamin (Amit Lemkin – 62’), Roee Alkukin, Stav Turiel, Daniel Dappa (Omri Altman – 80’)

Referee: Gal Leibovich | Attendance: 22,593 at Bloomfield.

Match Timeline

22’ – Referee Gal Leibovich was called to VAR to check a possible penalty after Grigori Morozov held Fernand Mayembo in the box. After review, he pointed to the spot!

26’ – Goal! Stav Turiel calmly slotted the penalty into the center of the net. Miguel Silva dived the wrong way. 1–0 Hapoel.

36’ – Hapoel thought they had their second goal when Chico’s header went in, but after review it was disallowed as Falcao was judged to have blocked goalkeeper Miguel Silva.

45+3’ – Goal. 1–1.

51’ – Daniel Dappa received a through ball from Roee Alkukin, shook off Gil Cohen, and fired powerfully, but missed the target.

64’ – Dappa raced against Miguel Silva for a loose ball. The keeper cleared it out only as far as Doron Leidner, who attempted an audacious long-range curler, but it bent too much and went wide.

65’ – Amit Lemkin latched onto a pass from Alkukin and tried his luck from distance, but his strike crashed off the crossbar.

68’ – Dappa controlled the ball inside the box and laid it off to Alkukin, who beat his marker and shot past Silva, but Carabali made a last-ditch header off the line to save Beitar.

71’ – Lemkin pushed forward and slipped a pass to Doron Leidner, who squared first-time to Dappa, but the striker missed again as the ball whistled past the post.

78’ – Goal. 2–1 Beitar.

87’ – Turiel tried a powerful shot from a tight angle that rattled the crossbar. The rebound fell to Yazan Nassar, who headed wide.

90’ – Goal! Turiel crossed from the right and Andrian Kraiev thundered a header home. 2–2.

90+5’ – Beitar’s Gil Cohen was shown a straight red card for fouling Omri Altman on his way to goal.

90+8’ – Goal! Omri Altman curled a magnificent free kick from 20 meters into the net. 3–2 Hapoel!

Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv will host Beitar Jerusalem tonight at Bloomfield Stadium in the third round of the Israeli Premier League. Ahead of this highly anticipated clash, we’ve gathered all the key stats, the history between the two clubs, and the most interesting details to know before kickoff

Hapoel enters one of the biggest matches of the season already in round three, with Bloomfield expected to be packed with a sea of red supporters.

The Reds opened the season on the right foot, claiming a 2–1 home victory over Ironi Kiryat Shmona in the first round, followed by a dramatic 2–2 draw away at Bnei Reineh. Now, backed by the passionate home crowd and a strong red army in the stands, Hapoel aims to continue its positive momentum and establish itself at the top of the table early in the season.

This upcoming game carries added significance, as the two rivals are also set to meet at the end of October in the Toto Cup final – another heated encounter that adds a layer of tension and prestige.

Beitar, on the other hand, arrives after a solid start of its own: a 2–1 away win over Bnei Sakhnin in the opening round, followed by a goalless home draw against Maccabi Haifa.

Match Information

The History

The long-standing rivalry between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem is one of the most fascinating and heated in Israeli football. Since their first meeting, the two sides have faced each other 129 times, weaving a rich story of epic battles, dramatic moments, and unforgettable goals.

Overall Record:

At Hapoel’s home:

The first-ever league match between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem was played on March 5, 1955 at YMCA Stadium in the fifth round. Hapoel twice found itself trailing but equalized through Asher Blot (23’) and Michael Michaelov (83’), with the game ending in a 2–2 draw.

Later that same year, the first home league match between the sides also ended level. Asher Blot put Hapoel ahead in the 24th minute from the penalty spot, but Beitar equalized late on for a 1–1 draw.

Over the years, Hapoel has had memorable home wins over Beitar, scoring four goals in a match on seven different occasions. The streak began on March 6, 1971, with a 4–2 victory thanks to goals from Yehoshua Feigenbaum (16’), Yehezkel Hazum (57’), and Shimon Ben-Yonatan (74’, 76’).

One of the most unforgettable encounters took place on March 16, 1996 at Bloomfield. After Avi Azulai was sent off in the 36th minute, Hapoel was reduced to ten men – but it sparked a red masterpiece led by Shalom Tikva. With a personal brace, plus goals from Sagiv Eliyahu and Kazimierz Moskál, Hapoel stunned Beitar with a 4–0 triumph.

Another emphatic 4–0 win came on February 9, 2009, in the season before Hapoel’s last double. Maharan Lala (38’, 66’), Douglas da Silva (42’), and Bibras Natcho (70’) sealed a dominant victory.

In the last five league meetings at Bloomfield, the record has been evenly balanced: two wins apiece and one goalless draw.

Tonight’s match will be officiated by international referee Gal Leibovitz. Throughout his career, he has refereed 20 Hapoel league matches, with the Reds winning eight, drawing two, and losing ten. He has awarded Hapoel just one penalty (which was missed) and one to their opponents (converted). In his two previous Hapoel–Beitar matches: Beitar won 1–0 at Bloomfield in December 2019, while Hapoel triumphed 1–0 at Teddy in January 2021 with Omri Altman scoring the winner in the 34th minute.

During this week’s international break, Hapoel Tel Aviv players represented their national teams — Bulgaria’s senior side and Israel’s Olympic squad — gaining valuable experience on the international stage.

Andrian Kraev was called up to Bulgaria’s squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Group E. In the first match against Spain (3–0 loss), he remained on the bench, but in the second game against Georgia he started in the lineup and was substituted at halftime, as Bulgaria fell 3–0.

Israel’s Olympic team also featured strong Hapoel representation, with three players involved in the UEFA European Championship qualifiers.
In the away match against Bosnia, goalkeeper Dor Benyamini played the full 90 minutes, Ran Benyamin started and was subbed off in the 77th minute, while Daniel Dapa also started and left the pitch in the 65th minute.

In the second game of the week, away against the Netherlands, Ran Benyamin scored Israel’s opener and stood out as one of the key players. Dor Benyamini once again completed 90 minutes between the posts, while Daniel Dapa started and was substituted in the 78th minute.

Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club and Hapoel Ramat Gan Football Club have reached an agreement on the transfer of midfielder Mor Buskila

We would like to thank the Mayor of Giv’atayim, Mr. Ran Kunik, for his assistance in helping the two clubs reach an understanding and resolve the differences.

Buskila will return to training with his teammates tomorrow (Sunday), will be available to coach Eliniv Barda starting from the upcoming match, and will wear the number 27 jersey in the team’s games.

Good luck, Mor!

The team defeated Hapoel Petah Tikva in a friendly match; Altman scored from the penalty spot

Hapoel held a friendly match against Hapoel Petah Tikva, played at the Bat Yam Stadium, as part of the training during the current

international break.

Absent from the match were national team players: Andrian Kraiev, Daniel Dappa, Ran Benaymin, and Dor Benaymini.

Starting lineup: Asaf Tzur, Shahar Piven, Fernand Mayembo, Chico, Doron Leidner, El Yam Kanzpolski, Roee Alcockin, Ari Cohen, Stav Torial, Shanda Silva, Omri Altman.

Substitutes: Sagi Pinhas, Yazan Nassar, Ziv Morgan, Tal Archel, Kofi (trial), Yishai Brosh, Elian Rukhana, Amit Lamkin, Liran Rotman, Idan Bernes.

Match summary:

Halftime: Hapoel leads 0–1.

Full time: Hapoel wins 0–2.