Elitzur Netanya and Maccabi Ra'anana were officially relegated to the National League after a long, up-and-down season, following Netanya's 89-77 loss and Hapoel Galil Elyon’s 76-65 win over Nes Ziona. The results sealed the fate of the two teams in the Israeli Basketball Premier League on June 17, 2026.
After the game, coach Goni Yizraeli spoke candidly about the drop. He called it “a very sad day,” said the match was one Ra'anana “had to win and could have won,” and thanked the club’s supporters. “I had a bad year and I enjoyed Ra'anana so much,” he said. “I hoped to keep them in the league. I am sorry I disappointed.” He also said his family had gone through a difficult period, praised injured players who kept giving everything, and added that he would not forget the three losses on buzzer-beaters.
Yizraeli said he loved the team, believed in the people around it, and thought the changes made during the season were the right ones, though “in retrospect everything looks bad.” He added that he trusts the players for the next game and said he has no ego about his future, telling people he will be where he is wanted with the right people.
Huoqin Shuchman also reacted, congratulating Hapoel Galil Elyon on its “amazing” survival and praising the players for what they had gone through. He said the squad gave “100 percent” but admitted the team had made mistakes that led to this situation. Ilan Amr said it was “a sad evening” but stressed that it is sport and “we move on,” while Amit Gershon called the season “very frustrating” and said the team missed chances to save itself.
