Low Attendance at Toto Cup Matches Highlights Fan Disparity Across Israeli Stadiums

The Toto Cup is nearing its conclusion, with a highly anticipated derby final set for later this season. On Monday, two ranking matches took place: Maccabi Haifa faced Hapoel Jerusalem for ninth place, and Hapoel Ramat Gan played Beitar Jerusalem for seventh place. Attendance figures varied significantly across venues.

At Sammy Ofer Stadium, home to Maccabi Haifa, only 4,898 green-shirted fans attended, alongside 244 red-shirted supporters, totaling 5,142 spectators. In contrast, at Rehovot Stadium, where the runner-up faced the newly promoted team, 2,807 Beitar Jerusalem fans and 444 from Ramat Gan were present, summing to 3,251 attendees.

Other matches showed higher turnout: at the Shlomo Biton Stadium, 8,143 fans watched Ironi Kiryat Shmona (475 supporters) play Hapoel Tel Aviv (7,668 supporters). Meanwhile, Sammy Ofer Stadium hosted 1,365 spectators for the Hapoel Haifa versus Hapoel Be'er Sheva game. The highest attendance was recorded at the Miriam Stadium, where 12,957 fans saw Maccabi Netanya face Maccabi Tel Aviv.

These figures reveal a stark contrast in fan engagement depending on the teams and locations, with some stadiums notably emptier despite hosting prominent clubs. The Toto Cup's final stages promise a heated derby, but fan turnout remains uneven across the competition.