Haifa Municipality Blocks Hapoel Haifa Training Ahead of Derby Over Debt Dispute

Hapoel Haifa faces uncertainty over its training facilities as the Haifa municipality has suspended the club's access to the Beit Nagler training ground due to an alleged outstanding debt of several thousand shekels. The club is returning to Israel on Monday after a training camp in Bulgaria, but its ability to continue practicing at Beit Nagler remains in doubt. Attempts by both the municipality and the club to reach a payment agreement have failed, prompting the municipality to halt the team's use of the facility until the debt is settled.

The timing of the suspension is particularly contentious, as Hapoel Haifa is set to open the 2026/27 season with a Toto Cup derby match this coming Saturday. The club criticized the municipality's decision as "puzzling" and accused it of neglecting one of the city's oldest and most important institutions in its 103rd year. Hapoel Haifa also highlighted the drastic cut in municipal support, which was reduced to 29,000 shekels annually, roughly equivalent to the club's sock budget, and contrasted this with the millions of shekels allocated to rival teams, including free or subsidized facilities.

The club emphasized that it contributes millions of shekels annually to the municipality for the use of city facilities and the Sammy Ofer Stadium, which would otherwise be underutilized. Despite reaching a payment arrangement for the previous season's facility use and being allowed to train initially, the municipality abruptly reversed its position days before the derby, preventing the team from training at Beit Nagler. This development raises questions about the municipality's motives and the fairness of its treatment of Hapoel Haifa.