In terms of titles won, Maccabi Tel Aviv are Israel's most successful club. The Maccabi squad of 1939 is pictured at Sydney Cricket Ground during a tour of Australia.
Following the creation of the Eretz Israel Football Association in August 1928,[1] the first nationwide football championship in Mandatory Palestine, the Palestine League, began in October 1930, although this competition was abandoned.[2] The Palestine League's last edition was played during the 1947–48 season, and was abandoned as well due to the Independence War. The league resumed in May 1949 and since then the national championship has been played under three names: Liga Alef, between 1949 and 1955; Liga Leumit, from 1955 to 1999; and finally, since 1999, the Israeli Premier League.
In all, Maccabi Tel Aviv hold the record for most championships, with 25 titles; they are also the only Israeli club to have never been relegated from the top division.[3][4] The next most successful teams are Maccabi Haifa (15 titles) and Hapoel Tel Aviv (11), followed by Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Petah Tikva six titles each. While Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv have always been major players in the league championship, the consistent success of Maccabi Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem has been a relatively recent phenomenon, both clubs having won their first title during the 1980s. The longest run of successive titles is five, won by Hapoel Petah Tikva between the 1958–59 and 1962–63 seasons.[5]
Champions
Key
†
Champions also won the Israel State Cup during the same season. (People's Cup before 1948)
‡
Champions also won the League Cup during the same season. (began play in 1984)
§
Champions also won both cups during the same season.
(titles)
A running tally of the total number of championships won by each club is kept in brackets.
The inaugural Palestine League title was won by British Police, who finished the season unbeaten and also won the People's Cup to complete the country's first double.[6] Except for Jerusalem-based British Police's initial victory, only clubs from Tel Aviv won the title during the Mandate period; Hapoel and Maccabi Tel Aviv won five and four championships respectively.[5][nb 1] Because of violent conflicts involving the Yishuv, the competition's scheduling was inconsistent and in some seasons no national championship was held or league competitions were abandoned.[7][8][2]
Full league standings and top scorer details not known at this time.
Following Israel's creation in 1948, the association dropped "Eretz" from its name and the cup was renamed the Israel Cup. The league championship was held as the "Israeli League" for one season, in 1949–50; Maccabi Tel Aviv won the title.
A new top division, Liga Alef started play with the 1951–52 season. It became the second tier of Israeli football in 1955–56, when it was superseded as the top flight by Liga Leumit. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the first two of the championships held under this name, whilst the 1954–55 ended with the championship leaving Tel Aviv for the first time since the first league season, 1931–32; Hapoel Petah Tikva finished the season top of the league while Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv came in second and third place respectively
Nahum Stelmach(left, striped shirt) takes a shot for Hapoel Petah Tikva during the 1950s. Stelmach was a key player as the club won five titles in a row between 1958 and 1963.[19]
The inaugural Liga Leumit season, 1955–56, ended with the championship won by Maccabi Tel Aviv, which have won two of the next three titles and Hapoel Tel Aviv one. Hapoel Petah Tikva then finished in second place three times in a row, before starting a record run of five successive championship victories. Hapoel Petah Tikva's run of five consecutive titles between the 1958–59 and 1962–63 seasons remains unmatched today. Two Ramat Gan clubs, Hapoel Ramat Gan and Hakoah Ramat Gan, then claimed a title each before Hapoel Tel Aviv took the title to Tel Aviv at the end of the 1965–66 season. In the 1966–68 season, often referred to as the "double season", the sixteen teams played each other twice at home and twice away during a season lasting two years.[20]
During the 1970s and 1980s, six teams won their first championships; Maccabi Netanya took four titles between 1970 and 1980 while Hapoel Be'er Sheva won two back-to-back in 1974–75 and 1975–76. Hapoel Kfar Saba, Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem and Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv all won their first titles during the 1980s. After Bnei Yehuda's victory in 1989–90, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem dominated the remainder of the top-flight Liga Leumit era, winning every title except the last; the 1998–99 championship was won by first-time victors Hapoel Haifa.
When the Israeli Premier League became the top division of Israeli football in 1999–2000, Liga Leumit became the second division. Since then, only six clubs have won the title; Hapoel Tel Aviv, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem. Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem are sometimes referred to as the "Big Four" of Israeli football.[21]
Having won seven titles in the league's 20 seasons, the most successful club during this period is Maccabi Haifa; during the same period Maccabi Tel Aviv have added six to their total, Hapoel Be'er Sheva added three championships, while Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv have won two championships each. Although Hapoel Tel Aviv have only finished top of the league twice since 1999—in 1999–2000 and ten years later in 2009–10—they have won the double on both occasions.
This achievement was matched by Beitar Jerusalem in 2007–08. Ironi Kiryat Shmona won their first championship during the 2011–12 season, thereby becoming the first northern title-winners. Both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be'er Sheva have won three titles in a row.
Six teams have completed the double by winning the Israeli State Cup during the same season. There have been 15 doubles won in total (including one treble, Maccabi Tel Aviv winning the championship, the State Cup and the Toto Cup in 2014–15); the most successful club in this regard is Maccabi Tel Aviv, who have been both league champions and cup winners on seven occasions.
^ abcBecause of the inconsistent league programme during the 1930s and 1940s, controversy remains concerning the number of titles won by Hapoel Tel Aviv during that period. The 1934–35 championship was abandoned with Hapoel Tel Aviv leading the standings.[9] The IFA lists the title on its website.[7][10] The 1937–38 league season was also abandoned long before its end because of the Arab revolt in Palestine, once more with Hapoel Tel Aviv top of the table. As with the unfinished 1934–35 title, the Israel Football Association today lists the club as having won the 1937–38 crown. Counting both of these titles, Hapoel have five Palestine League championships and 13 in total,[10] but FIFA and UEFA only credit the club with four pre-1948 titles, giving an overall total of 12.[11][12] The club itself claims to have won 13 titles, five before independence and eight afterwards.[13] This figure is corroborated by the Israel Football Association and Ynet.[10][14]
^The competition started on 3 October 1930 and was abandoned in November 1930 as the High Commissioner ordered the British clubs to stop playing Jewish clubs due to violent incidents in matches.
^The Hapoel teams withdrew from the PFA and a league was held with Maccabi teams only. The competition was abandoned when Hapoel rejoined the PFA.[2]
^No national championship was held, and instead regional leagues took place in Tel Aviv (two divisions), Sharon and Judah areas. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Tel Aviv district league and was recognized as champions by the IFA.[15][16]Beitar Netanya and Maccabi Rehovot won the other regional leagues.
^Due to disagreements between Maccabi and Hapoel the league wasn't played. Each sport association held its own league, with Maccabi Petah Tikva winning the Maccabi League and Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Raanana winning the Southern and Samaria divisions of the Hapoel League, respectively.[2]
^The league was played in three regional divisions, in Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, although the Haifa division was cancelled after few weeks. The two other division required over a year to finish, and a championship playoff was played with Homenetmen (Jerusalem winners), Maccabi Rishon LeZion (Tel Aviv winners) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv runners-up) participating. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the playoff and the title.[2][5][10][17]
^As the previous season was still being played during the 1942-43 football season, no new league was played.
^Although the league was designated as a Wartime football league and not as a national league, the IFA recognizes the title for Hapoel Tel Aviv.[10]
^Two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv finished top of the Southern District league while Hapoel Tel Aviv won in the Northern District.[5][18] The IFA recognize both team as league champions for this season.[10]
^The Maccabi teams withdrew from the PFA and a league was held with Hapoel teams only. The competition was abandoned when Maccabi rejoined the PFA.[2]
^The league was abandoned due to the outbreak of the 1947–1949 Palestine war. The IFA list the league leaders at the time of abandonment, Nordia Tel Aviv as champions for this season.[10]
^The league was formed as a substitution to the Palestine League which was abandoned due to the 1947–1949 Palestine war. The league was abandoned after only a handful of matches were played. The IFA list the league leaders at the time of abandonment, Nordia Tel Aviv as champions for this season.[10]
^During the 1966–68 "double season", Mordechai Spiegler scored 38 goals; counting the two-halves of the season separately, he scored 15 during 1966–67 and 23 during 1967–68.[8]
^Two regional leagues were held instead of a national championship. Beitar Tel Aviv finished top of the Southern District league while Hapoel Tel Aviv won in the Northern District.[5][18] The IFA recognize both team as league champions for this season.[10]
^"ההתאחדות יישרה קו: כוכב חמישי למכבי ת"א" [The F.A. Agreed: A Fifth Star to Maccabi T.A.]. one.co.il (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv. 26 May 2024. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
^"ההסבר: הסיבה שמכבי קיבלה את הכוכב החמישי" [The Explanation: The Reason Maccabi Got the Fifth Star]. Sport5.co.il (in Hebrew). Tel Aviv. 26 May 2024. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
^Maccabi Haifa's final match of the 2000–01 season, at home against Maccabi Tel Aviv, was abandoned after 82 minutes with Maccabi Haifa 3–2 ahead when supporters attempted to invade the pitch, resulting in a crush which injured 41 people. Maccabi Tel Aviv were awarded a 2–0 victory.[22][23]
