Kalfon Says Only “Healthy” Clubs Will Be Allowed in the Leagues

The 2026/27 seasons in Israel’s Premier League and National League began on Wednesday with the fixture draw, and league chairman Erez Kalfon used a press conference to address the biggest issues ahead of kickoff. He said the schedule is being built under severe stadium shortages, adding, “The management team is working day and night to fit the games because of the lack of stadiums. We hope this will be resolved during the season.”

Kalfon said the new stadiums in Tiberias and Ashdod are not expected to be ready at the start of the season because construction was halted during the war. He expressed hope they will still be completed by the end of 2026, saying the public deserves new venues and that the projects would give the league more flexibility in scheduling.

He also defended the decision to allow clubs to register eight foreign players. “We still cannot assess it,” he said, arguing that the war made it hard to bring in strong foreigners and that no club actually used eight of them last season. In his view, the reform will bear fruit only in two or three years, and the best players, Israelis or foreigners, should play.

Kalfon said the league will enforce tougher club standards, including a home stadium in the club’s own city, a minimum budget and investment in youth departments. Clubs that fail to meet the criteria will not play in the professional leagues, and if two teams do not comply, the league will be reduced. The minimum budget has been raised to 18 million shekels in the Premier League and 5 million shekels in the National League. He also noted that because Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv are in Europe, Beitar Jerusalem cannot play at Bloomfield on those days, with Sami Ofer and Turner as alternatives. He ended by praising crowded stadiums and record interest in last season’s playoffs.