Moadon Sport Ashdod (), commonly referred to as F.C. Ashdod or M.S. Ashdod (), is an Israeli professional football club, playing in the port city of Ashdod. The unusual name of the team (unlike most Israeli football teams, this one only indicates the club's home city without any specific Jewish sporting association, such as Hapoel, Maccabi, or Beitar) is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabi Ironi Ashdod in 1999. The club currently plays in the Liga Leumit.
History
During the club's first years, its kit colors were completely blue. However, when Israeli footballer Haim Revivo took a more prominent role in the club, the colors were changed to red and yellow. The decision was made that the kit should incorporate the previous two clubs' colors, Hapoel having been red and Maccabi yellow.
The club was not immediately successful after the merger, and fan support was lacking. During the 2004–05 season, they reached their greatest achievement, a third-place finish in the Israeli Premier League and a berth in the UEFA Cup. The club also reached the final of the Israeli Toto Cup, only to go out on penalty kicks. Their first time in a continental competition was not a memorable one, as they went out to the Slovenian PrvaLiga runners-up, NK Domžale.
Prior to the 2014–15 season, the club added Ironi to its name. However, following a dispute with fans of the previous club, Maccabi Ironi Ashdod, during the 2–3 defeat against Maccabi Netanya in the last match of the regular season, the club's chairman, Jacky Ben-Zaken, decided to rename the club to Hapoel Ashdod and to play in red shirts.Ben Zaken decided: The team will be called Hapoel Ashdod Shirley Bar Dayan, Sport 5, 14 March 2015 Despite warnings from the Israel Football Association, which informed the club that such changes during season are illegal, Sport 2, 18 March 2015 Ashdod did show up for their next match, which opened the Bottom playoff, against Hapoel Ra'anana in red shirts, with the caption "F.C. Hapoel Ashdod",Red of shame: 4:0 for Ra'anana over Ashdod. Watch David Nathan, Ynet, 21 March 2015 and was eventually disciplined.Not a bargain: Ashdod to be disciplined for the red shirts Sport 5, 30 March 2015 Furthermore, the club was punished by FIFA with six points deduction for failing to pay an arbitration award to Nigerian club, Kaduna United, for the transfer of Efe Ambrose in 2010. As a result, the club has been dropped to the bottom place in the Israeli Premier League.In FIFA order: 6 points deducted for Ashdod Ynet, 8 April 2015 However, in an exceptional decision, FIFA reversed its decision after it was found out that the club did pay the arbitration award.Back to life: FIFA returned F.C. Ashdod the six points Motti Pshehatzki, Sport 5, 17 April 2015 At the end of the season, the club finished at the bottom of the league, after failing to register a win during their last 15 matches, and for the first time in their history, were relegated to the second tier, Liga Leumit, following a 0–1 defeat against Hapoel Tel Aviv.No remaining in the league like this: All the numbers of F.C. Ashdod Sport 1, 16 May 2015 Watch: F.C. Ashdod relegated to Leumit after 18 years Erez Na'aman & Igal Berman, One, 16 May 2015
In the 2015–16 season, the club won Liga Leumit and made an immediate return to the Israeli Premier League.
Players Current squad Updated 28 September 2026
Out on loan
Other players under contract
Notable former players
Foreigners 2023–24 Only up six non-Israeli nationals can be in an Israeli club squad (only five can play at the same time). Those with Jewish ancestry, married to an Israeli or have played in Israel for an extended period of time, can claim a passport or permanent residency which would allow them to play with Israeli status.
Martin Atemengue Ebenezer Mamatah Clark Robertson Timothy Awany
Managers Yossi Mizrahi (2004, 21 April 2008 – 20 May 2010) John Gregory (1 July 2010 – 18 April 2011) Yossi Mizrahi (18 April 2011 – 30 June 2013) Nir Klinger (1 July 2013 – 7 June 2015) Eyal Lahman (7 June 2015 – 18 December 2015) Ronny Awat (18 December 2015 – 14 February 2017) Ran Ben Shimon (14 February 2017 – 5 July 2017) Yossi Mizrahi (16 July 2017 – 3 August 2017) (caretaker) Reuven Atar (3 August 2017 – 3 October 2017) Amir Turgeman (10 October 2017 – 24 April 2018) Yossi Mizrahi (24 April 2018 – 11 May 2018) Blagoja Milevski (11 May 2018 – November 2018) Yuval Naim (November 2018 – January 2019) Moshe Ohayon (January 2019 – February 2019) Avi Buchbut (February 2019 – June 2019) Ronny Awat (June 2019 – January 2020) Ran Ben Shimon (January 2020 – June 2023) Eli Levi (July 2023 – January 2025)
European cup history
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate 2005–06 UEFA Cup Q2 Domžale 2–2 1–1 3–3 (a) 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League Q2 Qarabağ 0–1 0–0 0–1
Club personnel Position PersonHead Coach Klemi SabanAssistant Coach Yitzhak KenzelAssistant Coach Ilay GoldbergAssistant Coach Gal EdsteinGoalkeeper Coach Shlomo BaumanPhysiotherapist Idan SchmitzFitness Coach Ze'ev GazinskyFitness Coach Ilan OppenhaumDoctor Moshe HelmAcademy Director Yehuda Zakaria
Kit makers YearsKit manufacturers 2000–2007 Diadora 2007–2009 Sektor Sport 2009–2013 Nike 2013–2014 Legea 2014–2016 Nike 2016–2017 Jartazi 2017–2025 Nike 2025- Umbro
References
External links
Moadon Sport Ironi Ashdod – Israel Football Association (archived 28 August 2017)