Beitar Ezra (Hebrew: בית"ר עזרא) is an Israeli football club based in the Ezra neighbourhood of Tel Aviv. The club currently plays in Liga Gimel Tel Aviv division. Today, the first Captain in the team is Gilor Bardush, and the secondary is Amir Itzhaki.

Beitar Ezra
Full nameBeitar Ezra FC
בית"ר עזרא
Founded1954
GroundNeve Golan Ground, Tel Aviv
ChairmanTzadok Hamami
ManagerGuy Kario
CoachYossi Saka
LeagueLiga Gimel Tel Aviv
8th

History

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The club was founded in 1954 and played its entire history in the lower divisions of Israeli football.

Beitar joined Liga Gimel at the 1954–55 season, the last season in which Liga Gimel was the third tier of Israeli football league system. The club's best period was at the mid-1960s, when they won Liga Gimel Tel Aviv division in the 1962–63 season and promoted to Liga Bet, then the third tier. In the 1964–65 season, Beitar was topping the table of Liga Bet South A division after 15 games and was crowned as the "winter champions" of the league.[1] However, drop in form saw the club finish the league at the seventh place. In the following season, the club finished second bottom and relegated back to Liga Gimel after three seasons playing in Liga Bet. From that point, the club became known as one of the worst teams in Israeli football.[2] Beitar have conceded 202 goals at the "double season" of 1966–68, and in 1969, the club found itself playing at the newly formed bottom tier, Liga Dalet.[3] In 1985, Liga Dalet was scrapped and the club returned to Liga Gimel, where they play since at the Tel Aviv division. The 2009–10 season was exceptional, as the club finished the league with even number of wins, draws and losses and with a positive goal difference of +14.[4]

The club's founder and chairman, Tzadok Hamami, which holds UEFA Pro Licence, have also renewed his footballer card aged 82.[5] However, his last match as an active player for Beitar Ezra, was at 25 December 2009, aged 79, when he entered as substitute at the 90th minute in the 0–0 draw against Hapoel Neve Golan.[6]

Current squad

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As to 16 January 2020
No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   ISR Hassan nagdi
2 DF   ISR Muhammed haj
3 DF   ISR Barak segalovitch
4 DF   ISR Abed abu anza
5 DF   ISR Ibrahim gahleb
6 DF   ISR Amir itzhaki
7 MF   ISR Mohammad huni
8 MF   ISR Dvir levi
9 MF   ISR Yossi saka
10 FW   ISR Roei halfon
11 MF   ISR Gilor bardush
12 MF   ISR Yahav cohen
24 MF   ISR Abed atrash
15 FW   ISR Netanel avraham
17 FW   ISR Butrus abu
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF   ISR Yehezkel mashiach
19 DF   ISR Idan
20 MF   ISR Matan
22 DF   ISR Lior mirzazada
23 MF   ISR Idan shiri
14 FW   ISR Eliran Hajby
26 DF   ISR Dan
77 FW   ISR Mustafa shakra
99 GK   ISR Avi malachi

References

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  1. ^ Beitar Ezra – "Winter champions" of South division Heruth, 7.2.1965, Historical Jewish Press (in Hebrew)
  2. ^ The Yemenite oligarch Eyal Levy, NRG, 17.2.2006 (in Hebrew)
  3. ^ And again Liga... Dalet (Page 7) Hadshot HaSport, 26.9.1969, archive.football.co.il (in Hebrew)
  4. ^ Liga Gimel Tel Aviv – 2009/2010 The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)
  5. ^ At age of 82: Tzadok Hamami renewed his player card Doublepass, 27.8.2012 (in Hebrew)
  6. ^ Hamami Tzadok The Israel Football Association (in Hebrew)
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