Ironi Tiberias F.C.

Ironi Tiberias
Full nameIroni Tiberias Football Club
NicknameTiberians
Founded2006
GroundMunicipal Stadium, Tiberias
Capacity4,500
OwnerDorot Group
ChairmanArie Kalmanzon & Mickey Bitan
ManagerEliran Hudeda
LeagueIsraeli Premier League
2023–24Liga Leumit, 2nd of 16

Ironi Tiberias (Hebrew: עירוני טבריה) is an Israeli professional football club based in Tiberias. The club is not connected to Hapoel Tiberias, a former club which spent several seasons in the top division of Israeli football in the 1960s and the 1980s, making its last appearance in the top flight in 1989.

History

Football was played in Tiberias before the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The first club in the city, Maccabi Tiberias, was formed in 1925[1] and was playing football as early as 1927.[2] A year later, Maccabi Tiberias competed in the first ever edition of the Israel State Cup.

The best known club from Tiberias was Hapoel Tiberias, which played in the top division of the Israeli football in the 1960s, from 1961–62 to 1964–65, and again in 1988–89.

A third club operating in Tiberias during these years was Beitar Tiberias, although it mainly played in the lower levels of the Israeli league, its best performance being reaching Liga Bet, the third tier in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

By the late 1990s, both Maccabi and Hapoel had folded, and the only active club was Beitar Tiberias. In 2001 the club was merged with Hapoel Mo'atza Ezorit Galil Tahton to form Hapoel Galil Tahton/Tiberias.[3] in 2007 the club changed its name to Ironi Tiberias.

In 2006–07 the club finished 2nd in Liga Bet North B and was promoted through play-offs. After several seasons in Liga Alef North, the club qualified for the promotion play-off at the end of the 2010–11 season, falling in the first round to Hapoel Asi Gilboa. In the following season, the club finished 2nd in Liga Alef, but didn't take part in the promotion play-offs, which involved only the league winner, Hapoel Asi Gilboa.

The club finished 2nd once again in 2013–14 and qualified for the promotion play-offs, and after beating Maccabi Daliyat al-Karmel, Hapoel Migdal HaEmek and Hapoel Azor, faced Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem in the decisive promotion/relegation play-offs. Tiberias won 5–1 on aggregate (3–0, 2–1) and was promoted to Liga Leumit. However, the club's spell in Liga Leumit lasted only one season, as they finished second bottom in the 2014–15 season and were relegated back to Liga Alef.

Current squad

As of 17 December 2025[4]
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  POR Rogério Santos
2 DF  ISR Omer Itzhak
3 MF  ISR David Keltjens
4 DF  GNB Sambinha
5 MF  ISR Yonatan Teper
6 MF  ISR Firas Abu Akel
7 MF  ISR Guy Hadida
8 MF  ISR Eithan Velblum
9 FW  UKR Stanislav Bilenkyi
10 MF  NGA Muhammed Usman
11 MF  ISR Niv Gotlieb
12 DF  ISR Aviv Solomon
14 FW  ISR Waheb Habiballah
15 DF  ISR Eli Balilty
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 DF  ISR Ron Unger
18 FW  ISR Idan Baranes (on loan from Hapoel Tel Aviv)
19 FW  ISR Itamar Shviro
21 DF  ISR Yehonatan Hasson (on loan from Hapoel Petah Tikva)
22 GK  ISR Ido Sharon (on loan from Hapoel Tel Aviv)
27 MF  ISR Yarin Swisa
37 DF  CZE Ondřej Bačo
44 MF  ISR Matan Dgani
47 DF  UKR Daniel Joulani (on loan from Maccabi Haifa)
55 GK  ISR Jones Abu Ganima
74 DF  ISR Nehoray Chen
77 FW  ISR Agam Yehuda
90 FW  NGA Peter Michael
99 DF  ISR Haroun Shapso

Honours

Honour No. Years
Fourth tier 1 1966–681
Fifth tier 1 1996–971

1As Beitar Tiberias

References

  1. ^ News from the World of Sport in Eretz Israel and Abroad Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Do'ar HaYom, 16.10.1925, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
  2. ^ Opening of the Maccabi Ground in Tiberias Do'ar HaYom, 23.10.27, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
  3. ^ Hapoel Tiberias Archived 2014-10-10 at the Wayback Machine Nana.co.il, 28.08.02 (in Hebrew)
  4. ^ Players|Ironi Tiberias Israel Football Association