New Unified Football Club Established in Rehovot After 100 Years

A historic development in Rehovot sees the creation of a new municipal football club named Ironi Rehovot, set to compete in Liga Alef South starting this season. The club will be professionally managed by former Beitar Jerusalem coach Benny Ben Zaken. This move follows a strategic agreement led by Rehovot Mayor Matan Dil, who finalized the deal after the municipal stadium began hosting top-tier and second-division teams not originally from Rehovot, sparking local criticism.

As part of the restructuring, the existing clubs Maccabi Rehovot and Hapoel Sha'arayim have been relegated to Liga Gimel and will receive an annual budget of 350,000 shekels each, contingent on proper management approval. The municipality will assume all debts of these clubs and maintain their facilities, offering them a fresh start and gradual rebuilding opportunities without financial burdens. Maccabi Rehovot must pay for stadium usage, while Sha'arayim is exempt due to owning two registered fields.

Last season, Maccabi Rehovot finished 11th in Liga Alef South with 24 points from 22 matches. The new unified club will play home games at the 6,000-seat municipal stadium, with ambitions to eventually reach the Israeli Premier League. This marks the first time in 136 years since Rehovot's founding that the city will have a single representative football club at this level.