2024–25 Israeli Premier League

Maccabi Tel Aviv entered the season as defending champion under newly appointed head coach Zarko Lazetic.[1] Its challengers included Maccabi Haifa, which had brought back Barak Bachar as coach, and Hapoel Be’er Sheva, which had appointed Ron Kozuk.[1] At the time of the preseason preview, Maccabi Tel Aviv was the only Israeli club still participating in European competition.[1]

Ironi Kiryat Shmona returned to the top division after a season in the Leumit League, joining fellow promoted club Ironi Tiberias.[1] Tiberias recruited goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum, previously of Maccabi Tel Aviv, as it prepared to seek survival in the top flight.[1] Clubs reworked their squads amid wartime difficulties in attracting foreign players, while Kiryat Shmona faced playing its home fixtures away from the city because of the war and continuing Hezbollah bombardment.[1]

The league was scheduled to begin on August 24, 2024, with an approved format retaining a six-team upper playoff and an eight-team lower playoff.[4] The wider season calendar scheduled the Toto Cup to begin on July 27.[4] Opening-round fixtures included Maccabi Tel Aviv against Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa against Ironi Tiberias, and Hapoel Be’er Sheva away to Ironi Kiryat Shmona.[5] The fixture list placed Maccabi Tel Aviv against Maccabi Haifa in round seven and Beitar Jerusalem against Maccabi Tel Aviv in round eight.[5] There was no Tel Aviv derby that season because Hapoel Tel Aviv had been relegated.[5]

After the 26-match regular season, Hapoel Be’er Sheva led the standings with 58 points, one ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv on 57.[6] Be’er Sheva’s record was 18 wins, six draws and two losses, while Maccabi’s was 17 wins, six draws and three losses.[6]

The lead changed hands with one matchday remaining, when Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi Haifa 3–0 and Hapoel Be’er Sheva drew 1–1 with Beitar Jerusalem.[7] Dan Biton equalized for Be’er Sheva deep into second-half stoppage time, but the draw left his club behind Maccabi going into the final round.[7]

The upper playoff concluded on May 24, 2025.[8] At Bloomfield Stadium, Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Beitar Jerusalem 5–0 to secure the championship.[2] Dor Peretz opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and Eran Zahavi added a second in the 17th.[9] A Jean Marcelin own goal extended the lead to 3–0, before Zahavi scored again in the 61st minute and Dor Turgeman added the fifth goal.[2][9] The match drew an attendance of 28,108.[9]

The championship-clinching fixture was also Zahavi’s final match for Maccabi Tel Aviv.[2] He was substituted in the 68th minute to a standing ovation and left the field in tears as supporters cheered him.[9] Afterward, he said: “I’m happy that I really ended the most challenging season in my career like this. I’ll remember it forever.”[2]

Hapoel Be’er Sheva also won 5–0 on the final day, defeating Hapoel Haifa at Turner Stadium, but could not overtake Maccabi.[2][8] Alon Turgeman, Iuri Medeiros, Kings Kangwa, Dan Biton and Eliel Peretz scored for Be’er Sheva.[2] In the other final-round upper-playoff match, Maccabi Haifa defeated Maccabi Netanya 3–2.[8]

In the relegation playoffs, Ironi Tiberias secured its place in the following season’s top division with a 0–0 draw against Maccabi Petah Tikva, a result that also confirmed Petah Tikva’s relegation.[3] Ashdod SC survived after beating Ironi Kiryat Shmona 4–2, while Hapoel Hadera joined Petah Tikva in dropping to the Leumit League.[3] Reflecting on the points needed for survival, Petah Tikva coach Noam Shoham said: “We thought 32 points would be enough, and in the end, even 33 weren’t.”[3]

Maccabi Tel Aviv finished with 80 points, two ahead of Hapoel Be’er Sheva on 78.[8] The final standings listed both clubs with identical records of 24 wins, eight draws and four losses across 36 matches.[8] Maccabi scored 86 goals and conceded 36, while Be’er Sheva scored 75 and conceded 28.[8]

Hapoel Jerusalem finished first in the lower playoff, followed by Maccabi Bnei Reineh, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Bnei Sakhnin, Ashdod, Ironi Tiberias, Maccabi Petah Tikva and Hapoel Hadera.[8] Tiberias therefore completed its first campaign following promotion by retaining its top-division place.[1][3]

Lazetic said his team had approached the last ten games individually, focusing on each match, and referred to the travel involved during the campaign.[2] The league chairman congratulated Maccabi on its second consecutive national championship and noted that the club had played many matches outside Israel during a complex season.[2] Kozuk expressed both disappointment and pride after Be’er Sheva’s final-day victory: “It’s a painful ending, no doubt, it’s disappointing, but I’m very proud.”[2]

The championship extended Maccabi Tel Aviv’s record to 26 league titles and marked a second successive championship.[2] Its decisive final-day victory combined the retention of the title with Zahavi’s two-goal farewell appearance, bringing the championship race and his time at the club to a close in the same match.[2] At the other end of the standings, newly promoted Ironi Tiberias preserved its top-flight status through the goalless draw that relegated Maccabi Petah Tikva.[3]

The round-two fixture between Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Bnei Sakhnin was abandoned before kickoff and ultimately recorded as a 0–0 result with neither club receiving points.[10] The disciplinary court initially deducted a point from each club; Sakhnin recovered its point on appeal, while Be’er Sheva’s deduction remained.[10] The association’s Supreme Court later unanimously ruled against a replay and upheld the no-points result.[10]

After the season, Be’er Sheva owner Alona Barkat argued that the title had been decided “outside the field,” citing the deduction and the Sakhnin ruling.[11] Her statement challenged the effect of the disciplinary decisions on the title race; it did not constitute a finding that Maccabi Tel Aviv’s championship was invalid.[11] Ynet quoted Barkat as saying Be’er Sheva had played 35 matches rather than 36, while Walla’s final standings listed 36; the sources did not explain whether the difference reflected matches actually played or the administrative table record.[8][11]