Edmond Safra Invests Nearly $27 Million in Hapoel Tel Aviv

Since acquiring the Hapoel Tel Aviv football club in the summer of 2024, owner Edmond Safra has personally invested approximately 100 million shekels (around $27 million). This figure encompasses the club's purchase, covering deficits, and funding their promotion season from the National League, during which Hapoel had minimal significant income. The club's budget for the upcoming season is estimated at around 60 million shekels, a substantial increase from the previous year. This puts Hapoel Tel Aviv's budget in fifth place among Israeli Premier League teams, behind Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Beitar Jerusalem, and Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The youth academy budget has doubled to approximately 15 million shekels.

During the month-long war, Hapoel Tel Aviv was reportedly the most active club among the league's top teams. The entire squad recently completed a training camp in Cyprus, with Safra reportedly investing hundreds of thousands of shekels to minimize the team's disruption. Since Safra's takeover, the club has spent between 23 to 24 million shekels on transfer fees. Notable acquisitions include Douglas Owusu for 2.2 million euros, the most expensive transfer in the club's history, and Daniel Dafa for 1.8 million euros.

Concurrently, the club has generated significant revenue from player sales. Ran Benjamin was sold to Dallas in MLS for approximately 1.7 million dollars, and Luizão was transferred to Red Star Belgrade for about three million euros, after being acquired for only 1.1 million euros. Total revenue from player sales under Safra's ownership is estimated at 15 to 16 million shekels. Safra's strategy and the management team's approach prioritize investing more than immediate returns to retain players, acquire young talent, and build a competitive squad.