Hapoel Ra'anana A.F.C.

Hapoel Ra'anana's football association was first established in 1938 and initially played in the lower leagues. It was re-established in 1972 under the name “Hapoel Ra'anana Association.”[1] Ra'anana is an urban community in central Israel, northeast of Herzliyyah; the available sources provide this geographic context but do not establish the club's precise home-ground history in its early decades.[8]

An account of the club's beginnings, recalled by Martin Drucker's son, describes a team formed among orchard workers: “When my father arrived here, the first thing he asked was: ‘Is there anything here?’ Everyone here was an orchard worker, so he decided to establish a team, and everyone came.”[7] The club's name places it within the wider Hapoel workers' sports tradition. Hapoel is described as an Israeli workers' sports organization affiliated with the Histadrut, with its beginnings traced to a Haifa soccer team in 1924; that broader organizational history is distinct from Ra'anana's own establishment date.[9]

The club struggled in comparison with other teams in the Sharon region and at one point fell to Liga Gimel, one of the lower levels of Israeli football. A climb back began in 1995, taking Ra'anana from Liga Gimel to the National League.[2] In the early 2000s, it acquired the nickname “promotion killers” after thwarting the promotion hopes of Hapoel Jerusalem, Kiryat Shmona, and Hapoel Kfar Saba on final matchdays in the National League.[2]

Ra'anana secured its first promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2008–09 season, following eight consecutive seasons in the National League.[1] A 1–0 win over Bnei Lod clinched promotion; coach Eli Cohen described the achievement as especially meaningful given the team's young players and limited budget.[3] The club had finished fifth in the National League, with 15 wins, six draws, 12 losses, and 51 points.[10]

Its first top-flight campaign, in 2009–10, was a landmark but also a practical challenge: the club played its home matches in Kfar Saba, and a season preview noted that it had played in amateur leagues not long before. Brazilian forward Cristiano Dos Santos had been its principal offensive threat in the preceding season. The preview listed no league championships or State Cups for Ra'anana at that point.[10] The club reached the Toto Cup final that season, defeating Maccabi Haifa in the semifinal before losing 0–1 to Beitar Jerusalem.[1]

Ra'anana returned to the Premier League in 2013 under coach Menachem Koretzky, who took charge with seven National League matches remaining. Seven consecutive wins secured promotion.[4] The club began that top-flight season strongly: by September it had taken seven points from its first three matches and stood third in the standings. A 3–1 win over Hapoel Ramat Hasharon included Tamir Cohen's first goal since April 2011; he had become the team's captain.[11]

The club's ambitions were tempered by limited resources and infrastructure. In 2013 it faced low attendance, limited municipal assistance, and a lack of a suitable home ground. Chairman Damian Ruitman said that 30 supporters had followed the team during its relegation season, while 1,200 Ra'anana supporters attended a later home match against Maccabi Haifa in Netanya. The club identified a suitable stadium, to be developed with the municipality, and a crowd of 2,500 as objectives.[4]

At the time, the club aimed to establish itself in the top division. Koretzky emphasized positive football, player commitment, and the development of homegrown players.[4] The Jerusalem Post reported that Ra'anana usually played before several hundred fans during this period.[11]

In January 2014, Ra'anana reached the State Cup round of 16 by eliminating Maccabi Haifa. The match remained scoreless through extra time, and Ra'anana won the shootout 8–7 after 19 penalties. After Tamir Cohen and Ahmed Saba missed the team's first two attempts, goalkeeper Arik Yanko saved Samuel Scheimann's kick to secure the result. Haifa's elimination was its first at the round-of-32 stage since 1965.[6]

Ra'anana's strongest league period followed in the mid-2010s. In 2014–15 it challenged for a place in the top six, which qualified teams for the championship playoffs, but lost its second consecutive match in March and could no longer reach the cutoff.[12] The next season brought the club's best league finish: sixth place in 2015–16, alongside qualification for the Premier League upper playoff group.[7][2] A contemporary retrospective highlighted wins of 2–1 over Maccabi Tel Aviv and 3–0 over Maccabi Haifa, as well as two draws against league leaders Hapoel Be'er Sheva.[2]

In December 2016, Ra'anana beat reigning champion Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1–0 in Netanya, with Mohammed Shaker scoring the only goal. Be'er Sheva had arrived on a club-record run of nine consecutive league victories, making the result a notable upset.[13] Haim Silvas had guided Ra'anana to 10th place in his first season in charge and sixth in the following season. After he left for Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Dudu Avraham was appointed head coach for 2017–18; Ra'anana was in 10th place entering its final match of the 2016–17 season.[14]

The club profile lists black and red as Ra'anana's colors and Ramat Gan Stadium as its venue, though those details may reflect a particular period rather than a current arrangement.[1] The club's documented experience of playing away from Ra'anana includes its use of Kfar Saba for home matches during its 2009–10 Premier League debut and Netanya for notable matches in later seasons.[10][4]

Ra'anana also had an unusual international profile in the 1960s. While most Israeli clubs remained in the country, the team traveled by ship to the Netherlands on a journey of four days and reportedly went abroad each summer. The account credits the trips, as well as Israel–Germany exchange delegations, to then-club secretary Martin Drucker.[2]

Ra'anana was relegated from the Premier League in 2020 after seven years in the top division.[1] In June of that year, it was last in the standings during the relegation playoffs. After a 2–0 loss to Hapoel Kfar Saba, a report described relegation as “almost assured,” though it did not give a final position or confirm the outcome.[15]

The club later returned to the National League in 2024 after two years away, having won promotion from Liga Alef North. With 65 points after 28 matches—20 wins, five draws, and three losses—Ra'anana secured promotion through a 2–1 victory over Tzeirei Kafr Kanna, sealed by a 90th-minute goal from Raval Dahamshe.[5] A table accessed on October 25, 2026, listed Ra'anana fifth in the National League after 11 matches, with six wins, one draw, four losses, and 19 points.[16]