Maccabi Ra’anana and Elitzur Netanya were officially relegated to the National League after a long season of ups and downs, following Netanya’s 77-89 loss to the “yellows” and Hapoel Galil Elyon’s 65-76 win over Nes Ziona. The results sealed both teams’ fate on June 17, 2026, leaving their last-ditch survival hopes over.
After the game, coach Goni Yizraeli said he was deeply disappointed. “It is a very sad day,” he said. “We had to win this game and we could have. I want to thank the wonderful people in Ra’anana. It was a bad year for me, and I enjoyed Ra’anana so much. I hoped to keep them in the league. I’m sorry I let you down.” He also thanked his family for supporting him through a difficult period and praised players who competed injured.
Yizraeli said he loved the club and believed in the people involved, but admitted that the season ended in failure. He said three losses on buzzer-beaters hurt badly and added that he was not thinking about his next step yet. He stressed that the club has strong people and “huge potential,” and hoped the organization and city hall would view the relegation as “a descent for the sake of going up.”
Huaquin Shuchman also responded to the drop, congratulating Hapoel Galil Elyon on what he called a “wonderful survival” after a “amazing run.” He said the team gave everything, but some mistakes led to the situation. Ilan Amr called it “a sad evening” and said the players had done their part, but it was not enough and the work came too late. Amit Gershon said the season was difficult for the whole league, thanked the club’s people, and said he did not regret joining Ra’anana even though the mission failed.
