List of Israeli Premier League seasons

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The Israeli Premier League is an Israeli league for professional football clubs. It is the country's leading football competition and forms the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The competition began in the 1999–2000 season, following the decision of the Israeli Football Association to form a new league. As of 2011, twelve Premier League seasons have been completed, although only four clubs have been crowned champions. Maccabi Haifa have won the league seven times, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem two times each, and Maccabi Tel Aviv once. The reigning champions are Maccabi Haifa, who won their seventh Premier League title (twelve top division title) in the 2009–10 season.

History[edit]

After several years of discussion over the possibility of a so-called "Super League" being formed by Israeli football's leading clubs, the Israeli Premier League came into existence in 1999 when the top clubs broke away from the 44-year-old Liga Leumit. Hapoel Tel Aviv won the first title in the 1999–2000 season, the first time the club had won the championship of Israeli football for 11 years.

The record for the most points accumulated in a Premier League season belongs to Maccabi Haifa, who accumulated 87 points over 35 games in the 2009–10 season (as 3 points for a win not including the playoff points cut, Hapoel Tel Aviv accumulated 85 points in a regular season). At the other end of the scale, Tzafririm Holon accumulated just 16 points in the 2000–01 season (Hapoel Petah Tikva accumulated 14 points but after receiving 4 points deduction in the 2010–11 season). Tzafririm Holon also hold the record for the most goals conceded in a season, having conceded 85 goals in the same season, while Maccabi Haifa hold the record for the fewest goals conceded, with just 16 in the 2009–10 season.

Hapoel Tel Aviv hold the record for the most goals scored in a season, having scored 87 goals in the 2009–10 season, while Ironi Kiryat Shmona, in the 2008–09 season, and Hapoel Ramat Gan, in the 2010–11, are having the record for the fewest goals scored, with just 24.

Seasons[edit]

Season Winner Relegated from the Israeli Premier League Promoted to the Israeli Premier League Top Scorer[1][2]
Player Goals
1999–2000 Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Kfar Saba
Maccabi Herzliya
Hapoel Jerusalem
Hapoel Tzafririm Holon Assi Tubi (Maccabi Petah Tikva) 27
2000–01 Maccabi Haifa Bnei Yehuda
Tzafririm Holon
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Maccabi Kiryat Gat
Avi Nimni (Maccabi Tel Aviv) 25[3]
2001–02 Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Haifa
Maccabi Kiryat Gat
Hapoel Kfar Saba
Bnei Yehuda
Kobi Refua (Maccabi Petah Tikva) 18
2002–03 Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Kfar Saba
Ironi Rishon LeZion
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
Bnei Sakhnin
Yaniv Abargil (Hapoel Kfar Saba)
Shay Holtzman (Ironi Rishon LeZion / F.C. Ashdod)
18
2003–04 Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Netanya
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
Hapoel Haifa
Hapoel Nazareth Illit
Ofir Haim (Hapoel Be'er Sheva)
Shay Holtzman (F.C. Ashdod)
16
2004–05 Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Haifa
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Hapoel Kfar Saba
Maccabi Netanya
Roberto Colautti (Maccabi Haifa) 19
2005–06 Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Nazareth Illit
Bnei Sakhnin
Maccabi Herzliya
Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan
Shay Holtzman (F.C. Ashdod) 18
2006–07 Beitar Jerusalem Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan
Hapoel Petah Tikva
Ironi Kiryat Shmona
Bnei Sakhnin
Yaniv Azran (F.C. Ashdod) 15
2007–08 Beitar Jerusalem Hapoel Kfar Saba
Maccabi Herzliya
Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan
Hapoel Petah Tikva
Samuel Yeboah (Hapoel Kfar Saba) 15
2008–09 Maccabi Haifa Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan
Ironi Kiryat Shmona
Hapoel Haifa
Hapoel Acre
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Hapoel Ramat Gan
Hapoel Ra'anana
Barak Yitzhaki (Beitar Jerusalem)
Shimon Abuhatzira (Hapoel Petah Tikva)
Eliran Atar (Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv)
14
2009–10 Hapoel Tel Aviv Hapoel Ra'anana
Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
Ironi Kiryat Shmona
Hapoel Ashkelon
Shlomi Arbeitman (Maccabi Haifa) 28
2010–11 Maccabi Haifa Hapoel Petah Tikva
Hapoel Ashkelon
Hapoel Ramat Gan
Ironi Ramat HaSharon
Ironi Rishon LeZion
Hapoel Kfar Saba
Toto Tamuz (Hapoel Tel Aviv) 21

References[edit]

  1. ^ Includes only goals scored in the Israeli Premier League.
  2. ^ Bleicher, Yaniv (12 June 2009). "Israel - List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  3. ^ Each team played 38 games. However the last away match of Maccabi Tel Aviv against Maccabi Haifa was abandoned.