F.C. Ashdod

Moadon Sport Ashdod (Hebrew: מועדון ספורט אשדוד, lit. Sport Club Ashdod), commonly referred to as MS Ashdod (מ.ס. אשדוד, lit. 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).

F.C. Ashdod
Full nameSport Club Ashdod
מועדון ספורט אשדוד
Moadon Sport Ashdod
Nickname(s)הדולפינים (The Dolphins)
הקבוצה מעיר הנמל (The Port City Team)
Founded1999 (1999)
GroundYud-Alef Stadium, Ashdod
Capacity7,800
OwnerM.S. Ashdod Supporters trust
ChairmanRafi Niddam
ManagerEli Levi
LeagueIsraeli Premier League
2022–23Israeli Premier League, 6th of 14
WebsiteClub website

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 14 January 2023.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Israel ISR Ariel Harush
3 DF Israel ISR Gil Cohen
4 DF Uganda UGA Timothy Awany
5 DF Scotland SCO Clark Robertson
6 MF Cameroon CMR Martin Atemengue
7 FW Israel ISR Stav Turiel
8 MF Israel ISR Shlomi Azulay
9 FW Israel ISR Shalev Harush
10 MF Israel ISR Mohammed Kna'an
11 FW Israel ISR Roy Levi
13 DF Ghana GHA Montari Kamaheni
14 MF Israel ISR Noam Muche
15 DF Israel ISR Tom Ben Zaken (captain)
16 DF Israel ISR Zohar Zasno
18 MF Israel ISR Ilay Tamam
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW Israel ISR Adir Levi
20 DF Colombia COL David Cuperman
24 DF Israel ISR Shaked Hakmon
28 FW Ghana GHA Ebenezer Mamatah
29 FW Israel ISR Shavit Mazal
30 FW Israel ISR Ravid Abergel
36 MF Israel ISR Elad Shahaf
40 DF Israel ISR Obeida Khattab
41 GK Israel ISR Sahar Hasson
77 MF Israel ISR Ya'akov Berihon
95 MF Brazil BRA Lucas Salinas
97 MF France FRA Jordan Sebban
— MF Israel ISR Michael Ohana
— FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Jordan Botaka

Out on loan
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Israel ISR Tomer Amar (at Maccabi Kiryat Malakhi until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Ghana GHA Hayford Adjei (at Maccabi Jaffa until 30 June 2024)

Other players under contract
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Israel ISR Raz Zaguri
— DF Israel ISR Mor Edri
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Israel ISR Mohamad Amer

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.

Managers

European cup history
Main article: F.C. Ashdod in European football
As of match played 29 July 2021
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
2005–06 UEFA Cup Q2  Slovenia Domžale 2–2 1–1 3–3 (a)
2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League Q2  Azerbaijan Qarabağ 0–1 0–0 0–1

Club personnel
Position Person
Head CoachIsrael Ran Ben Shimon
Assistant CoachIsrael Ronny Awat
Assistant CoachIsrael Moshe Ohayon
Assistant CoachIsrael Yossi Fahima
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. "Maccabi pummels Hapoel 5-0 to take Tel Aviv Derby as late first half red card dooms Reds". Sports Rabbi. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  2. Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod Shirley Bar Dayan, Sport 5, 14 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  3. Ashdod can't change name Sport 2, 18 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  4. Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch David Nathan, Ynet, 21 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  5. Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts Sport 5, 30 March 2015 (in Hebrew)
  6. In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod Ynet, 8 April 2015 (in Hebrew)
  7. Back to life: FIFA returned F.C. Ashdod the six points Motti Pshehatzki, Sport 5, 17 April 2015 (in Hebrew)
  8. No remaining in the league like this: All the numbers of F.C. Ashdod Sport 1, 16 May 2015 (in Hebrew)
  9. 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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