HAPOEL ACREAcre was a pleasant surprise last season, but coach Eli Cohen has got his work cut out for him in the coming campaign.Acre lost four key players in Itzik Cohen (Maccabi Haifa), Maharan Radi (Bnei Sakhnin), Ben Binyamin (Maccabi Netanya) and Roei Dayan (Beerschot), although Cohen has tried to make up for that with the shrewd signings of Moshe Mishaelof, Nisso Kapiloto and Amiya Taga.The biggest difference this season could well be Acre’s long-overdue return home, with its new stadium to be completed in the coming weeks.Player to watch out for: Sintiyahu Salalik.The 20-year-old winger showed some promising signs at Maccabi Haifa last season and has the platform to succeed on loan at Acre.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Cohen finally gets the credit he deserves after Acre easily avoids the relegation battles once more.Worst case: After three years in the Premier League, Acre is relegated and returns to soccer wilderness.HAPOEL BEERSHEBA Beersheba has finished in ninth position in the last two seasons and there’s no real reason to expect much more this time around.Nir Klinger begins his second season as coach, and even though the addition of Laryea Kingston was one of the better pieces of business in the Israeli transfer market this summer, it is hard to see Beersheba fans getting their wish of seeing the team finish in the top five.Player to watch out for: Ido Eksbard. The 23-year-old has got all the attributes needed to become a top striker.Titles: Championships – 2 (1974/75, 1975/76). State Cups – 1 (1997).Best case: Klinger is embraced by the local support after Beersheba claims victories over the big four.Worst case: Beersheba gets tangled up in the relegation battle and Klinger is just another name on the ever-growing list of coaches to be chased out of town.HAPOEL HAIFAAfter a year in exile at Hapoel Ashkelon and Hapoel Beersheba, fan-favorite Eran Levy returns to Hapoel Haifa and his leftfooted shots will be the main attraction in the team’s matches once more.Star-striker Eden Ben-Basat left for French club Brest, but coach Nitzan Shirazi has otherwise held on to his rising stars and there’s no reason Haifa shouldn’t manage a midtable finish yet again.Player to watch out for: Oshri Roash.Another impressive season by the 23-yearold defender and surely he will be playing at a bigger club next year.Titles: Championships – 1 (1998\99). State Cups – 3 (1963, 1966, 1974), Best case: A derby win over the Greens caps an otherwise eventless season.Worst case: Shirazi is back commentating on TV after Haifa drops to the National League.BETAR JERUSALEMTo say that Betar has been through a turbulent summer would be one of the understatements of the year. The future looked bright just three weeks ago when Americans Dan Adler and Adam Levin promised to return the club to its former glory after agreeing to purchase it from Arkadi Gaydamak.However, they quickly deserted the club, and with little money to strengthen the squad, David Amsalem resigned as coach just this past Monday. Difficult days lie ahead for the Betar faithful and no one should envy new coach Yuval Naim.Player to watch out for: Eli Dasa. The 18- year-old right-back broke into the Betar lineup last season and should play an even bigger role this term.Titles: Championships – 6 (1986/87, 1992/93, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2006/07, 2007/08). State Cups – 7 (1976, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1989, 2008, 2009).Best case: Betar finally enjoys a quiet season while it waits for a new investor to come in and take it back to the good old days.Worst case: Betar doesn’t secure its survival until the final minutes of the campaign.ASHDOD SCYossi Mizrahi is once more at the helm in Ashdod, but this time he will have to manage without Dimitar Makriev, Idan Shirki and Moshe Ohayon, who led the side for much of the past three seasons. David Revivo returns home from Hapoel Beersheba, but owner Jacky Ben-Zaken will judge Mizrahi by the progress made by the products of the youth department in which he has invested heavily in recent years.Player to watch out for: Gadi Kinde. The 17-year-old midfielder, who came through the Ashdod youth department, has been earmarked as one of Israel’s top talents.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Mizrahi’s youngsters improve with every week and Ashdod makes the championship playoffs.Worst case: Mizrahi pays the price for his squad’s inexperience as Ashdod slips into the relegation playoffs.BNEI SAKHNINShlomi Dora seemed to bring some peace to Sakhnin when he joined in April, settling the club and steering it clear of relegation.However, he will be hoping to go one better this season and completely avoid the relegation playoffs.With the core of last season’s squad still around and Maharan Radi, Ohad Kadusi and Ori Shitrit all joining, Sakhnin has every chance of maintaining its Premier League status without too much trouble.Player to watch out for: Mahmud Kannadil.The 23-year-old has established his place as Sakhnin’s first goalkeeper and will have plenty of opportunities to prove his worth.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 1 (2004).Best case: Dora is still the coach when the season ends after Sakhnin happily settles for a mid-table finish.Worst case: Sakhnin gets off to a poor start and Dora is gone before the end of the year.HAPOEL PETAH TIKVA Petah Tikva fans are still celebrating the fact their club is in the top flight after the Budget Control Authority had relegated it at one stage due to its financial struggles.Petah Tikva eventually posted the mandatory minimum budget, but it still begins the season with a nine-point deduction after going into liquidation last month.As if matters weren’t bad enough, Gili Landau quit as the coach of the bankrupt club on Tuesday before changing his mind and returning to the helm the following day.Player to watch out for: Fabian Stoller. The 23-year-old Swiss midfielder impressed last season and deserves to play for a more organized club.Titles: Championships – 6 (1954\55, 1958\59, 1959\60, 1960\61, 1961\62, 1962\63). State Cups – 2 (1957, 1992).Best case: Petah Tikva fights relegation until the final seconds of the season.Worst case: It takes Petah Tikva two months to even erase its nine-point deduction and it never breaks out of the bottom three.HAPOEL RAMAT HASHARONRamat Hasharon will play in the Premier League for the first time in its history and its coach Momi Zafran has even taken a sabbatical from his day-time job as an accountant to focus on soccer matters.There are few familiar faces in Zafran’s squad, but after winning the National League so impressively last season, he will be confident his players are good enough for the Premier League as well.Player to watch out for: Baruch Dego. The 30-year-old was one of the Israel’s top players when he scored four Champions League goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2004/05. He slipped off the radar in recent seasons, playing in Cyprus, and it will be intriguing to see if there is anything left of the old Dego.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Ramat Hasharon’s first ever season in the top flight is followed by a second.Worst case: After one year, Ramat Hasharon is back where it belongs – in the National League.HAPOEL RISHON LEZIONRishon Lezion was playing in the third division just over two years ago. But two promotions in three seasons have got its fans dreaming of the good olds days when it played nine straight seasons in the top flight until its relegation in 2003.Nisso Yehezkel will be coaching in the Premier League for the first time in his career and his ability to get Rishon to play better than the sum of its parts will decide how the team fares.Player to watch out for: David Gomez.After scoring 14 league goals for Rishon last season, the 22-year-old Brazilian striker will be looking to prove he has what it takes to play in the top flight.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Rishon surprises everyone and avoids relegation in the last week of the season.Worst case: Even Hapoel Petah Tikva finishes ahead of Rishon.
It’s time to get the ball rolling once again
With Israeli Premier League set to kick off, here is a team-by-team preview of what to look out for at both ends of the table.
HAPOEL ACREAcre was a pleasant surprise last season, but coach Eli Cohen has got his work cut out for him in the coming campaign.Acre lost four key players in Itzik Cohen (Maccabi Haifa), Maharan Radi (Bnei Sakhnin), Ben Binyamin (Maccabi Netanya) and Roei Dayan (Beerschot), although Cohen has tried to make up for that with the shrewd signings of Moshe Mishaelof, Nisso Kapiloto and Amiya Taga.The biggest difference this season could well be Acre’s long-overdue return home, with its new stadium to be completed in the coming weeks.Player to watch out for: Sintiyahu Salalik.The 20-year-old winger showed some promising signs at Maccabi Haifa last season and has the platform to succeed on loan at Acre.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Cohen finally gets the credit he deserves after Acre easily avoids the relegation battles once more.Worst case: After three years in the Premier League, Acre is relegated and returns to soccer wilderness.HAPOEL BEERSHEBA Beersheba has finished in ninth position in the last two seasons and there’s no real reason to expect much more this time around.Nir Klinger begins his second season as coach, and even though the addition of Laryea Kingston was one of the better pieces of business in the Israeli transfer market this summer, it is hard to see Beersheba fans getting their wish of seeing the team finish in the top five.Player to watch out for: Ido Eksbard. The 23-year-old has got all the attributes needed to become a top striker.Titles: Championships – 2 (1974/75, 1975/76). State Cups – 1 (1997).Best case: Klinger is embraced by the local support after Beersheba claims victories over the big four.Worst case: Beersheba gets tangled up in the relegation battle and Klinger is just another name on the ever-growing list of coaches to be chased out of town.HAPOEL HAIFAAfter a year in exile at Hapoel Ashkelon and Hapoel Beersheba, fan-favorite Eran Levy returns to Hapoel Haifa and his leftfooted shots will be the main attraction in the team’s matches once more.Star-striker Eden Ben-Basat left for French club Brest, but coach Nitzan Shirazi has otherwise held on to his rising stars and there’s no reason Haifa shouldn’t manage a midtable finish yet again.Player to watch out for: Oshri Roash.Another impressive season by the 23-yearold defender and surely he will be playing at a bigger club next year.Titles: Championships – 1 (1998\99). State Cups – 3 (1963, 1966, 1974), Best case: A derby win over the Greens caps an otherwise eventless season.Worst case: Shirazi is back commentating on TV after Haifa drops to the National League.BETAR JERUSALEMTo say that Betar has been through a turbulent summer would be one of the understatements of the year. The future looked bright just three weeks ago when Americans Dan Adler and Adam Levin promised to return the club to its former glory after agreeing to purchase it from Arkadi Gaydamak.However, they quickly deserted the club, and with little money to strengthen the squad, David Amsalem resigned as coach just this past Monday. Difficult days lie ahead for the Betar faithful and no one should envy new coach Yuval Naim.Player to watch out for: Eli Dasa. The 18- year-old right-back broke into the Betar lineup last season and should play an even bigger role this term.Titles: Championships – 6 (1986/87, 1992/93, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2006/07, 2007/08). State Cups – 7 (1976, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1989, 2008, 2009).Best case: Betar finally enjoys a quiet season while it waits for a new investor to come in and take it back to the good old days.Worst case: Betar doesn’t secure its survival until the final minutes of the campaign.ASHDOD SCYossi Mizrahi is once more at the helm in Ashdod, but this time he will have to manage without Dimitar Makriev, Idan Shirki and Moshe Ohayon, who led the side for much of the past three seasons. David Revivo returns home from Hapoel Beersheba, but owner Jacky Ben-Zaken will judge Mizrahi by the progress made by the products of the youth department in which he has invested heavily in recent years.Player to watch out for: Gadi Kinde. The 17-year-old midfielder, who came through the Ashdod youth department, has been earmarked as one of Israel’s top talents.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Mizrahi’s youngsters improve with every week and Ashdod makes the championship playoffs.Worst case: Mizrahi pays the price for his squad’s inexperience as Ashdod slips into the relegation playoffs.BNEI SAKHNINShlomi Dora seemed to bring some peace to Sakhnin when he joined in April, settling the club and steering it clear of relegation.However, he will be hoping to go one better this season and completely avoid the relegation playoffs.With the core of last season’s squad still around and Maharan Radi, Ohad Kadusi and Ori Shitrit all joining, Sakhnin has every chance of maintaining its Premier League status without too much trouble.Player to watch out for: Mahmud Kannadil.The 23-year-old has established his place as Sakhnin’s first goalkeeper and will have plenty of opportunities to prove his worth.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 1 (2004).Best case: Dora is still the coach when the season ends after Sakhnin happily settles for a mid-table finish.Worst case: Sakhnin gets off to a poor start and Dora is gone before the end of the year.HAPOEL PETAH TIKVA Petah Tikva fans are still celebrating the fact their club is in the top flight after the Budget Control Authority had relegated it at one stage due to its financial struggles.Petah Tikva eventually posted the mandatory minimum budget, but it still begins the season with a nine-point deduction after going into liquidation last month.As if matters weren’t bad enough, Gili Landau quit as the coach of the bankrupt club on Tuesday before changing his mind and returning to the helm the following day.Player to watch out for: Fabian Stoller. The 23-year-old Swiss midfielder impressed last season and deserves to play for a more organized club.Titles: Championships – 6 (1954\55, 1958\59, 1959\60, 1960\61, 1961\62, 1962\63). State Cups – 2 (1957, 1992).Best case: Petah Tikva fights relegation until the final seconds of the season.Worst case: It takes Petah Tikva two months to even erase its nine-point deduction and it never breaks out of the bottom three.HAPOEL RAMAT HASHARONRamat Hasharon will play in the Premier League for the first time in its history and its coach Momi Zafran has even taken a sabbatical from his day-time job as an accountant to focus on soccer matters.There are few familiar faces in Zafran’s squad, but after winning the National League so impressively last season, he will be confident his players are good enough for the Premier League as well.Player to watch out for: Baruch Dego. The 30-year-old was one of the Israel’s top players when he scored four Champions League goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2004/05. He slipped off the radar in recent seasons, playing in Cyprus, and it will be intriguing to see if there is anything left of the old Dego.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Ramat Hasharon’s first ever season in the top flight is followed by a second.Worst case: After one year, Ramat Hasharon is back where it belongs – in the National League.HAPOEL RISHON LEZIONRishon Lezion was playing in the third division just over two years ago. But two promotions in three seasons have got its fans dreaming of the good olds days when it played nine straight seasons in the top flight until its relegation in 2003.Nisso Yehezkel will be coaching in the Premier League for the first time in his career and his ability to get Rishon to play better than the sum of its parts will decide how the team fares.Player to watch out for: David Gomez.After scoring 14 league goals for Rishon last season, the 22-year-old Brazilian striker will be looking to prove he has what it takes to play in the top flight.Titles: Championships – 0. State Cups – 0.Best case: Rishon surprises everyone and avoids relegation in the last week of the season.Worst case: Even Hapoel Petah Tikva finishes ahead of Rishon.