Hapoel Tel Aviv Basketball Faces Fan Backlash with Under 1,000 Season Tickets Sold Amid Owner Dispute

Hapoel Tel Aviv's basketball team is experiencing a significant crisis with its fan base, as fewer than 1,000 season tickets have been renewed for the upcoming season despite high-profile player signings and ambitions to compete at the top of the EuroLeague. Since owner Ofer Yanai took over, he has transformed the club's goals and relocated home games to the Menora Mivtachim Arena, sparking conflicts with the ultras and broader fan community. The first phase of season ticket renewals, which required fans to pay an advance for EuroLeague games that will not be held in Israel anytime soon, ended with only about 800 renewals out of approximately 4,500 eligible fans, marking an unprecedented low.

The club's policy states that only those who paid the EuroLeague advance could renew their tickets, and with the deadline passed, no further renewals are allowed. This has forced the club to consider opening ticket sales to the general public. Fans are also concerned about a clause requiring them to accept the possibility of games being played at the Menora Arena, home to rival Maccabi Tel Aviv, a move that deepened the rift between the owner and supporters and led to a vote to return games to the smaller Kiryat Shalom Hall.

The crisis contrasts sharply with the football department, where new owner Edmond Safra, who invested less money, has seen strong fan support. The football team, now in the Israeli Premier League, has already sold over 17,000 season tickets for the upcoming season and regularly fills Bloomfield Stadium, including for European matches. While the basketball club can still sell the remaining 3,500 tickets for the smaller Kiryat Shalom Hall, the low renewal rate highlights a deepening crisis between the basketball team's ownership and its fans. The club has yet to respond officially to the situation.