Hapoel Herzliya F.C.

Hapoel Herzliya is a football club from the central Israeli city of Herzliya. Its recent competitive history has been centered on Liga Alef, including promotion from the South division in 2009/10 and a return to that division ahead of the 2022/23 season after approximately a decade in Liga Alef North.[2] The club last competed in the National League in 2011/12.[3]

The club challenged near the top of Liga Alef South in 2024/25, finishing third after losing ground during the closing rounds.[3] Its following season was more difficult, ending with Hapoel Herzliya in 13th place after the league stopped following 22 matches.[3]

The Hapoel name connects Hapoel Herzliya to one of Israeli sport’s foundational institutions. Hapoel is an Israeli workers’ sports organization affiliated with the Histadrut, Israel’s national labor federation, and originated with a Haifa soccer team established in 1924.[1] A countrywide association was organized in 1926 to promote physical education and sport among Palestinian youth and involve them in the labor movement.[1] As the Histadrut movement spread, numerous cities adopted the Hapoel name for soccer and basketball clubs.[5]

A 1966 edition of Maariv preserved in the National Library of Israel’s newspaper archive has a headline identifying a secretary of Hapoel Herzliya. It includes a partial quotation beginning "אין אנו סוחרים" ("We are not trading…"), but the archived headline is truncated and does not establish the full statement or its context.[6]

A government spreadsheet titled “Actual 2019” lists an entity named הפועל הרצליה בע״מ (Hapoel Herzliya Ltd), with 167,937 in its “2019 to date” column. The row itself does not establish the precise relationship between that entity and the football club.[7]

Hapoel Herzliya finished first in Liga Alef South in 2009/10 and earned promotion to the National League.[2] Its last National League campaign was in 2011/12.[3] After approximately ten years in Liga Alef North, the club was reassigned to the South division before the 2022/23 season.[2]

At the start of that campaign, coach Erez Benodis said the club had opened with a cup victory and two league wins. Six or seven players had remained from the previous season, which he credited with helping the squad’s cohesion.[2] He described the team as very young and said it sought to play positive, attacking football, develop players for higher leagues, and compete near the top of the table.[2]

In 2024/25, Hapoel Herzliya competed near the top of Liga Alef South and approached promotion before falling away in the closing rounds and finishing third.[3] The 2025/26 season ended with the club in 13th place. After 22 matches, it had five wins, seven draws, and ten losses, with 22 points and a goal record of 22 scored and 36 conceded.[3] The league did not resume after that point. Following a 1–0 loss to Beitar Yavne, the club parted ways with coach Dor Levi and appointed Hai Aviev, who did not take charge of a league match that season.[3]

One National League match reported by Ynet ended in a 1–0 home loss to Maccabi Ahi Nazareth. Lior Linder scored in the 90th minute, and the result placed Ahi Nazareth second in the standings.[8]

Former Hapoel Herzliya player Harel Nahar later became involved with a revived Hakoah team in Tenafly, New Jersey. After noticing a recruitment flyer, his ball-handling ability and success in recruiting other Israelis helped him earn the team captaincy.[9] His experience illustrates how players associated with Israeli clubs have contributed to Jewish sporting organizations abroad.

Hapoel Herzliya’s last match at its municipal stadium before an extended displacement was played on 21 September 2023. The club defeated Maccabi Ironi Ashdod 1–0 through a goal by Shalom Avitan.[4] By January 2025, it had played 22 nominal home matches outside Herzliya. Managing director Nir Shitrit said the club was playing in Bat Yam and incurring additional venue and logistical expenses because it lacked a home ground.[4]

The municipality had initially indicated that the club could return in October 2024, followed by a later announcement naming January 2025. Hapoel Herzliya had not returned by the time of ONE’s January 2025 report, and its remaining six home fixtures were scheduled for Bat Yam.[4] A later report confirmed that the club played the entire 2024/25 season without a home ground.[3] The municipality’s spokesperson’s office had not responded to ONE’s request for comment by the earlier article’s publication.[4]