Netanya Faces Relegation Decider Against Ness Ziona

Ironi Ness Ziona will host Elitzur Netanya on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the fourth round of the Israeli Basketball Premier League relegation playoffs. The teams met in the previous round, when Ness Ziona won an important road game that secured its place in the top division for another season, while Netanya enters the matchup under real threat of relegation.

Poul Corsaro’s Ness Ziona has won three straight games, and the last victory over Netanya ended its survival battle and gave the club breathing room for the final three rounds. Even so, the team is still urging its players to stay fully focused and committed until the season ends.

Netanya, meanwhile, has made a late coaching change. Eli Rebi has moved into a role within the club’s professional framework, and assistant coach Ilan Amr will lead the team tonight as head coach. The move had been considered for some time and was finally implemented for the decisive stretch of the season.

The standings scenarios are clear. If Netanya loses and Hapoel Upper Galilee beats Maccabi Ra'anana in the parallel game, Netanya will be officially relegated to the National League. If Netanya wins and Ra'anana also wins, the yellow side will stay alive in the survival fight and still control its own fate over the final two rounds. Club officials said, "In our case, we will need a miracle to stay. Everyone is tense, everyone understands the meaning, and we hope it does not end today. This is a battle for our lives in the league."