2013–14 Liga Leumit

Maccabi Netanya entered the campaign seeking a return to the top flight, and its stay in the second division ultimately lasted only one season.[2] The National League comprised 16 teams, with the campaign continuing into playoffs after the 30-match stage.[1][4]

Maccabi Netanya held a seven-point lead in the league standings in January 2014.[5] That month, it also defeated defending State Cup holder Hapoel Ramat Gan 3–1 after extra time: Ido Exbard opened the scoring, Ran Ben-Shimon equalized, and Yarin Hasan and Eran Levy scored in extra time.[5] By March 25, Netanya’s league advantage had grown to 12 points, leaving the club on the verge of returning to the top flight.[6]

Hapoel Petah Tikva’s campaign developed into a pursuit of the second promotion place.[1] The club led the table only in the second round and dropped to fourth after a 3–0 defeat at Ashkelon in round 14.[1] A 3–0 victory over Hapoel Nof HaGalil the following week restored Petah Tikva to second place, which it retained for the rest of the season.[1]

After 30 matches, Netanya stood first with 20 wins, seven draws, three defeats and 67 points.[4] Petah Tikva had 52 points from 15 wins, seven draws and eight defeats, while third-placed Hapoel Bnei Lod had 49 points from 13 wins, ten draws and seven defeats.[4] These figures represent the 30-match standings rather than the promoted clubs’ final totals, as their campaigns continued into the playoffs.[4]

Netanya confirmed promotion with a 3–1 victory over Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla, six rounds before the season ended.[2] About 4,500 supporters attended the promotion celebration.[2] Midfielder Shalev Menashe said afterward: “I don’t remember in recent years a team that went up so long before the end of the season and ran with such a big gap.”[2] Petah Tikva secured its own promotion with a 3–0 home win over Hapoel Nof HaGalil in round 36 and finished 17 points behind Netanya.[1]

Elsewhere in the division, Hapoel Rishon Lezion stood 14th of the 16 teams by March 25 after a 6–1 defeat to Hapoel Afula.[6] Tze’irei Umm al-Fahm’s 30-match record consisted of no wins, one draw and 29 defeats, with 14 goals scored, 111 conceded and a total of minus four points.[4] Hapoel Afula striker Shahar Hirsch finished as the league’s leading scorer with 20 goals.[3]

Netanya combined its league title with a run to the 2014 State Cup final, where it faced Ironi Kiryat Shmona before about 19,000 spectators.[7] After a goalless 90 minutes, Ahmed Abed scored in the 97th minute to give Kiryat Shmona a 1–0 extra-time victory.[7] Petah Tikva’s cup campaign had ended earlier with a 2–1 defeat to Ma’alot-Tarshiha.[6]

Both promoted clubs returned to the top division for 2014–15.[2][1] A Sports Rabbi season preview highlighted coach Idan Bar-On and new signing Omri Altmann in its assessment of Petah Tikva’s preparations for that return.[8]

A 2025 retrospective placed the 2013–14 promotion within Hapoel Petah Tikva’s history of second-tier campaigns, noting that each of the club’s five promotions before 2025 came without a first-place finish. It emphasized the team’s recovery from fourth place after round 14 to an uninterrupted hold on second from the following round.[1]

The National League title was Netanya’s first championship since the 1982–83 campaign.[7] Its promotion was secured with six matches still to play, while Petah Tikva’s return to the top division followed a sustained hold on second place from round 15 through the end of the season.[2][1]