Maccabi Netanya F.C.
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| Full name | Maccabi Netanya Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Diamonds |
| Founded | 1934; 83 years ago |
| Ground | Diamond Stadium ,Netanya |
| Capacity | 13,610 |
| Owner | Eyal Segal |
| Manager | Slobodan Drapić |
| League | Liga Leumit |
| 2015–16 | Israeli Premier League, 14th (relegated) |
Maccabi Netanya F.C. (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל מכבי נתניה, Moadon Kaduregel Maccabi Netanya) is an Israeli football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949. After winning their first championship in 1971, the club's golden period lasted until the late 1980s, including three more league titles and a double in 1978.
The club was established in the year 1934 as a Mandatory Palestinian Club and initially played in green and white stripes. The club's first season was in 1935–36 when they played in Liga Gimel which back then was the third tier in Israeli football. After three seasons in Liga Gimel the club won promotion to Liga Bet (second tier), and in the 1941–42 season they won Liga Bet to secure promotion to the top division which back then was known as the Palestine League.
They became founder members of the Israeli League in 1949, and in 1954 reached the State Cup final for the first time, losing 4–0 to Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 1961–62 the club finished bottom of Liga Leumit (then the top division) and were relegated to Liga Alef. They returned to the top division in 1964.
After a third-placed finish in 1968–69, the 1970–71 season saw Netanya win their first title by a margin of eleven points, back then the largest in Israeli football history. They also reached the State Cup final, but lost 2–1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv. In 1972–73 Neyanya finished thirteenth in Liga Leumit, avoiding relegation by only two points. However, the following season they won their second title. In 1975 they changed their kit to play in black and yellow. They won a third title in 1977–78, and completed the double by beating Bnei Yehuda 2–1 in the State Cup final. They also finished as winners of their group in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. A fourth championship was won in 1979–80 by a margin of ten points, whilst their fifth title, in 1982–83 was won by a fourteen-point margin. In the same season they won the League Cup, a feat repeated the following year. In 1986–87 and 1988–89 they reached the League Cup final, but lost on both occasions.
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