F.C. Nazareth Illit

Full name

Football Club Nazareth Illit

Founded

1962

Ground

Green Stadium, Nazareth Illit

Capacity

4,000

Manager

Ofer Talker

League

Liga Leumit

2013–14

8th

Home colours

Away colours

Third colours

Football Club Nazareth Illit (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל נצרת עילית‎, Moadon Kaduregel Natzrat Illit, formerly Hapoel Nazareth Illit F.C.), is an Israeli football club based in the city of Nazareth Illit.

History

The club was founded in 1962 as Hapoel Kiryat Nazareth and competed in Liga Gimel for several seasons, before promoting to Liga Bet at the end of the 1971–72 season. In 1973, after Nazareth Illit was granted city status and officially changed its name.

The club won 1975–76 Liga Bet, but, due to the league system restructuring, the club remained in the league system's third tier, which became Liga Alef. In 1978–79 the club won Liga Alef North division and was promoted to Liga Artzit, then the second tier. In 1983-84 they finished second from bottom, and were relegated to Liga Alef. Two seasons later the club finished second from bottom in Liga Alef and dropped to Liga Bet.

In 1998-99 the club finished as runners-up in Liga Alef North, and was promoted back to Liga Artzit, which was now the third tier following the formation of the Israeli Premier League in 1999. After narrowly avoiding relegation in 2000-01 when they finished one place above the relegation zone, the club finished as runners-up the following season, and were promoted back to the second tier. In 2003-04 they finished as runners-(on goal difference), and were promoted to the top division for the first time in their history.

In their first season in the Premier League the club finished fifth. Home matches were initially played at Maccabi Ahi Nazareth's Ilut Stadium, whilst their home ground had floodlights installed. They returned home in February 2005. However, the following season, 2005-06, they finished second from bottom (on goal difference), and returned to Liga Leumit. In 2007-08 they finished bottom of Liga Leumit, and were relegated to Liga Artzit.

Despite only finishing seventh in Liga Artzit in 2008-09, F.C. Nazareth Illit were promoted back to Liga Leumit as restructuring meant the top seven clubs were automatically promoted. Since then, Nazareth Illit hasn't been relegated for 3 consecutive seasons, finishing 7th in 2009-10, 11th in 2010-11 and 12th in 2011-12.

In the 2012-13 season, With the joining of players like Ibrahim Basit, Eran Malchin and Moti Malka, Nazareth Illit surprisingly finished runners-up at the end of the regular season. However, at the Top Playoff, Nazareth Illit lost 1-3 at home in a crucial match against Hapoel Ra'anana,^[1] which were eventually promoted instead to the Israeli Premier League, whilst Nazareth Illit finished third and remained in Liga Leumit.

Current squad

As to 1 March 2015

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Sagi Malul
2	DF	Elior Kakiashvili
4	DF	Eliran Hudeda
5	DF	Jenia Berkman
7	MF	Eran Malkin (on loan from Maccabi Haifa)
8	MF	Yehuda Zano
10	MF	Moti Malka
14	MF	Naor Abudi (on loan from Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona)
15	DF	Niran Rotstein
16	MF	Yaniv Brik (on loan from Maccabi Haifa)

No.	Position	Player
17	MF	William Owusu
18	DF	Reuven Gal
20	FW	Eugen Sidorenco
21	MF	Liad Elmaliah
22	GK	Ron Shushan (on loan from Maccabi Haifa)
23	MF	Yaniv Deri
25	DF	Ohad Rabinovich
77	FW	Hitham Halabi (on loan from Maccabi Haifa)
99	FW	Ibrahim Basit

Honours

Liga Gimel (4th tier):
- 1971–72

Liga Bet (3rd tier):
- 1975–76

Notable former players

Shahar Simantov
Yoav Ziv
Jalen Pokorn

External links

Hapoel Nazareth Illit Israel Football Association (Hebrew)

References

↑ Three on top: 3-1 for Ra'anana over Nazareth Illit Best Ball, 26.4.2013 (Hebrew)

Liga Leumit

Clubs	Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla Bnei Yehuda Hakoah Ramat Gan Hapoel Afula Hapoel Bnei Lod Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Nazareth Illit Hapoel Ramat Gan Hapoel Ramat HaSharon Hapoel Rishon LeZion Ironi Tiberias Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Maccabi Herzliya Maccabi Kiryat Gat Maccabi Yavne

Stadia	Bloomfield Stadium Green Stadium Grundman Stadium Haberfeld Stadium Herzliya Municipal Stadium Ilut Stadium Levita Stadium Lod Municipal Stadium Ness Ziona Stadium Ramla Municipal Stadium Sala Stadium Teddy Stadium Winter Stadium

Seasons (second level)	1937 1939 1940 1946–47 1949–50 1951–52 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15

Israeli Premier League

Clubs	Beitar Jerusalem Bnei Sakhnin F.C. Ashdod Hapoel Acre Hapoel Be'er Sheva Hapoel Haifa Ironi Kiryat Shmona Hapoel Petah Tikva Hapoel Ra'anana Hapoel Tel Aviv Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Petah Tikva Maccabi Tel Aviv

Stadiums	Acre Stadium Bloomfield Stadium Doha Stadium Ironi Stadium Sammy Ofer Stadium HaMoshava Stadium Netanya Stadium Teddy Stadium Vasermil Stadium Yud-Alef Stadium

Former clubs	Bnei Yehuda Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan Hapoel Ashkelon Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Ramat Gan Hapoel Rishon LeZion Hapoel Nazareth Illit Hapoel Tzafririm Holon Hapoel Ramat HaSharon Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Maccabi Herzliya Maccabi Kiryat Gat

Competition	Champions Foreign players Records All-time table

Seasons	1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15