Beitar Jerusalem F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Beitar Jerusalem

Full name	Beitar Jerusalem Football Club
Nickname(s)	Beitar The Menorah The Lions from the Capital The Flag of the State
Short name	BEI
Founded	1936; 89 years ago (1936)
Ground	Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel
Ground Capacity	31,733
Owner	Barak Abramov
Head coach	Barak Yitzhaki
League	Israeli Premier League
2021–22	Israeli Premier League, 10th of 14
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Beitar Jerusalem Football Club (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל בית"ר ירושלים), often called Beitar Jerusalem or just Beitar, is a professional football team from Jerusalem, Israel. They play in the Israeli Premier League, which is the top football league in Israel. The team's colors are yellow and black, and they play their home games at Teddy Stadium. This stadium is the biggest in Israel, holding 31,733 fans.

Beitar Jerusalem is one of the most popular football clubs in Israel. It was started in 1936 by Shmuel Kirschstein and David Horn. Some early team members were also part of groups like the Irgun and Lehi. Beitar's fans are known for their strong support and connection to certain political ideas. The club has not signed an Arab player, which has led to many discussions. However, they have had a few non-Arab Muslim players in the past.

Beitar has won many important titles in Israel. They have won the Israeli Premier League six times. They also won the Israeli Cup eight times, and the Israeli Supercup twice.

Club History

Early Years (British Mandate)

Beitar Jerusalem began in 1936 as a youth team. They played their first games against teams from different communities in Jerusalem. In 1942, Beitar won a match against the Islamic Sports Club of Haifa with a score of 5–1. They also played against Al-Dajani, Jerusalem's top Arab team, in 1943 and 1944.

In 1944, Beitar Jerusalem reached the final of the Jerusalem Cup. However, the game was stopped by fans of a rival team, Hapoel Jerusalem. Later, in October 1944, some Beitar players were sent away by the British authorities. A Beitar team was even formed in a detention camp in Kenya.

In 1946, Beitar Jerusalem played against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Cup Games. Simon Alfasi scored all five goals for Beitar in those matches. In 1947, the British authorities banned all Beitar clubs. The team changed its name to "Nordiah Jerusalem" for a short time. On November 15, 1947, "Nordiah Jerusalem" won the first derby against Hapoel Jerusalem 3–1. On November 29, 1947, Simon Alfasi scored six goals in one game, which is still a club record. Football games stopped soon after, as the 1948 Arab–Israeli War began.

After Israel's Independence

After Israel became independent in 1948, Beitar went back to its original name. In the 1949–50 season, they had their biggest league win ever, beating Hapoel Ramla 8–0. In the 1953–54 season, Beitar won their division and moved up to the top league, called Liga Leumit. But they were sent back down after just one season.

Beitar won Liga Alef again in 1966–68, which was a two-year season. They earned 104 points out of a possible 120 and scored 161 goals. They also had an amazing 32-match unbeaten streak. This was a very successful time for the club.

Success in the 1970s

In the 1971–72 season, Beitar finished second in the league. In 1974, during a game against Hapoel Petah Tikva, some fans ran onto the field. This led to the team having to play games in other cities without fans.

In 1975, Beitar reached the State Cup final for the first time but lost. The next season, 1975–76, they finished second in the league and won their first major trophy, the State Cup, by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–1. About 55,000 to 60,000 fans watched this exciting game. Later, they also won the Israeli Super Cup in 1976. Beitar finished second in the league again in 1977–78 and 1978–79. In 1979, they won the State Cup for the second time, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–1.

The 1980s: First Championship

The 1980s started with some challenges. In 1981, a game against Maccabi Tel Aviv caused a lot of anger among Beitar fans due to referee decisions. The 1982–83 season was called the "Crazy Season" because the team changed managers many times. Despite this, Beitar improved and finished in 8th place.

In 1983–84, Beitar almost won the league title but lost in the final games. They finished second again in 1984–85 and won the State Cup for the third time, beating Maccabi Haifa 1–0.

In 1985, Dror Kashtan became the manager. The team won the Lilian Cup for the first time. In 1985–86, they won the State Cup again, making it their fourth win. On September 16, 1986, Beitar Jerusalem won the Israeli Super Cup for the second time.

The 1986–87 season was historic. Beitar won their first-ever league championship by a large margin of 15 points. Key players like Uri Malmilian and Eli Ohana scored many goals. Fans were incredibly happy, and it was a huge moment for the club.

Kashtan left and returned in 1988. In 1988–89, Beitar won the State Cup for the fifth time, beating Maccabi Haifa in a penalty shootout after a 3–3 draw. This was a memorable game for players like Uri Malmilian and Avi Cohen of Jerusalem, who were playing their last game for Beitar.

The 1990s: More Championships

In 1990–91, Beitar was sent down to a lower league but quickly returned to the top division the next season. Eli Ohana came back to the club and scored 17 goals, helping them get promoted.

In 1992–93, with Dror Kashtan back as manager, Beitar won their second championship in their first season back in the top league. They won 22 out of 33 games, setting a new club record for wins and points in a season. Eli Ohana and Ronen Harazi were the stars. In 1993, the club also had its biggest win ever in any tournament, beating Beitar Ramla 9–0 in the State Cup.

In 1994–95, Beitar had its highest win in the first league, beating Maccabi Herzliya 8–1. In 1996–97, the club won its third championship. They had an amazing run of nine straight wins during the season.

In 1997–98, Beitar Jerusalem won the Toto Cup for the first time and then won their fourth championship. This was a great achievement, even with key players injured. In 1998–99, Beitar reached the cup final but lost.

Towards the end of the 1990s, the club faced financial problems. In 1999, Beitar was sold for the first time to Yaakov Ben Gur.

The 2000s: New Owners and More Trophies

In the early 2000s, Beitar had financial difficulties. A new owner, Gad Zeevi, invested a lot of money and brought in many new players. In 2000, Beitar won the Shalom Cup in Rome, beating teams from Jordan and Italy.

After more financial issues, the club was declared bankrupt by a court. Fans helped by donating money. New owners, Meir Panijel and the Levi brothers, took over. Beitar managed to avoid being sent down to a lower league in the 2001–02 season. In 2002–03, Beitar was recognized as the "Honest Team of the Season" for having the fewest penalty cards.

In 2003, star player Avi Nimni joined Beitar, helping the team improve. In 2004, a Futsal team of Beitar Jerusalem won the championship.

In 2005, Russian billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak bought the club. He invested a lot of money, bringing in many new players and managers. Beitar finished third in the league in 2005–06.

In 2006–07, Beitar won its fifth championship. The club also won its first "Double" (both the league and the State Cup) in the 2007–08 season. They won the championship by nine points and beat Hapoel Tel Aviv in the cup final.

In the 2008–09 season, Beitar won the State Cup for the seventh time, beating Maccabi Haifa 2–1 in the final. In 2010, Beitar Jerusalem won the Toto Cup for the second time.

The 2010s: Changes and Challenges

The 2010–11 season saw Uri Malmilian as manager, but he resigned mid-season. The club finished 11th. In 2011, a deal for American businessmen to buy the club fell through. Eli Cohen, who won the 1997 championship, became manager and helped the team finish 9th.

In 2012, Arcadi Gaydamak announced he was giving up ownership of Beitar Jerusalem, stating he had invested a lot of money. In 2013, Eli Tabib bought the team and took on its debts.

In 2015, Beitar returned to European tournaments. However, during a Europa League game in Belgium, some fans caused trouble, leading to a delay. The owner, Eli Tabib, announced he would leave the club.

At the end of the 2017–18 season, Beitar finished third in the league and reached the Israeli Cup final. They also set a record by scoring in 43 consecutive league games. On May 13, 2018, the club announced it was changing its official name to Beitar Trump Jerusalem Football Club, to honor U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

In August 2018, Moshe Hogeg, a technology entrepreneur, bought Beitar Jerusalem. He stated he hoped to put the club on a "new path" and that religion would not affect player decisions.

The 2020s: Recent Events

In December 2020, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan from Abu Dhabi's ruling family planned to buy a 50% share in the club. This deal was meant to improve the club's image and show that "we are all equal." However, the deal did not happen.

The 2021–22 season was tough for Beitar, with financial problems and players leaving. The club managed to avoid being sent down to a lower league on the very last game of the season. In August 2022, after more financial challenges, Baraq Avramov bought Beitar Jerusalem.

In the 2022–23 season, Beitar had a mixed league performance but achieved a big win of 6:3 over Maccabi Netania. The team surprised everyone by winning the Israeli State Cup for the eighth time on May 23, 2023, beating Maccabi Netania 3:0. This was a huge victory for the club.

The 2023–24 season was difficult for Beitar. They lost in the Israeli Super Cup and the Toto Cup. They also had a tough time in European competition and the State Cup. In the league, Beitar started with a points penalty and faced challenges, but they ended the season in 11th place. A highlight was a 5:1 away win against Hapoel Tel Aviv in April 2024, which was their biggest away win against that rival.

Team Look and Symbols

Team Crest

An older crest of Beitar Jerusalem, showing the Menorah and two lions.

The Menorah is a symbol of Israel and was also used by the early Betar movement. It is part of Beitar Jerusalem's crest.

Team Uniforms

Team Rivalries

Rivalry with Hapoel Jerusalem

Beitar Jerusalem has a strong rivalry with Hapoel Jerusalem. This is known as the Jerusalem derby.

Rivalry with Hapoel Tel Aviv

Another big rivalry is with Hapoel Tel Aviv. This rivalry has political roots, as Hapoel Tel Aviv supporters often have different political views than Beitar fans.

Rivalry with Bnei Sakhnin

The rivalry with Bnei Sakhnin is also very intense. Bnei Sakhnin is a successful club with mostly Arab players, while Beitar Jerusalem has not signed a Muslim Arab player. This creates a unique and passionate rivalry.

Home Grounds

Stadiums

Past Stadiums

Beitar first played at the "Dajani field" and then at the YMCA Stadium. They played there until 1991.

Teddy Stadium

Teddy Stadium, Beitar's home ground.

Since 1991, Beitar has played at Teddy Stadium, named after former Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek. The stadium started with 12,000 seats and grew to 31,733 seats by 2013. Fans sometimes call it Gehinom (meaning Hell) because of the tough atmosphere for visiting teams.

Training Ground

Beitar Jerusalem's teams train at a complex in Beit Vagan. It has locker rooms, gyms, and three training fields. Two of the fields have artificial grass. The club's offices and a fan shop are also located there.

Supporters and Their Views

Beitar Jerusalem has very passionate supporters, including a group called La Familia. These fans are known for their strong views and for not wanting Arab players on the team. Beitar Jerusalem is the only major team in the Israeli Premier League that has never had an Arab player. Fans have sometimes chanted slogans that have led to penalties for the club.

Despite this, team leaders have said they would welcome an Arab player if the situation was right.

Some Muslim players have played for Beitar Jerusalem in the past:

• Guram Adzhoyev, a Tajik player, played in 1989–90. His religion was not widely known by fans at the time. He was liked for his effort.
• Viktor Paço, an Albanian player, was a star for Beitar Jerusalem in 1999–00 and 2001–02. He later shared that he is Muslim.
• Ndala Ibrahim, a Nigerian Muslim player, briefly played for the team in 2005. He left after facing strong reactions from some fans.
• In 2013, the club signed two Chechen Muslim players, Zaur Sadayev and Dzhabrail Kadiyev. Some fans protested, and the club's offices were even set on fire. Israeli leaders, including the Prime Minister, spoke out against the racism. When Sadayev scored his first goal, some fans left the stadium.
• In 2019, some fans asked Ali Mohamed, a Christian player from Niger, to change his name because "Mohamed" sounded too Muslim. The club owner threatened to sue the fans.

On February 3, 2025, Beitar Jerusalem players wore orange jerseys during a match to show support for Shiri Bibas and her sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were held captive in Gaza. The orange color symbolized their ginger hair.

Team Achievements

League Titles

Cup Competitions

Mini Football / Futsal

Beitar Jerusalem in Europe

Beitar Jerusalem has played in European competitions many times. Their first official European match was a 1–1 draw with FC Zimbru Chişinău in the 1993-94 UEFA Champions League. They have played in the UEFA Champions League five times, but have not gone past the second qualifying round.

UEFA Ranking

Season	Rank	T. points	S. points	Ref.
2025–26	271	3.000	1.500
2024–25	245	2.500
2023–24	233	2.500	1.500
2022–23	266	2.000
2021–22	260	2.500
2020–21	250	4.000	1.000
2019–20	262	3.500
2018–19	282	3.500	1.000
2017–18	206	2.500	0.500
2016–17	231	5.875	1.500
2015–16	294	4.225	0.500

European Match Results

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1993–94	UEFA Champions League	Preliminary Round	Zimbru Chişinău	2–0	1–1	3–1
		First Round	Lech Poznań	2–4	0–3	2–7
1995	UEFA Intertoto Cup	Group stage	Charleroi	0–1	N/A	5th
			Bursaspor	N/A	0–2
			Rosenborg	3–5	N/A
			Wimbledon	N/A	0–0
1996–97	UEFA Cup	Preliminary Round	Floriana	3–1	5–1	8–2
		Qualifying Round	Bodø/Glimt	1–5	1–2	2–7
1997–98	UEFA Champions League	First Qualifying Round	Sileks	3–0	0–1	3–1
		Second Qualifying Round	Sporting CP	0–0	0–3	0–3
	UEFA Cup	First Round	Club Brugge	2–1	0–3	2–4
1998–99	UEFA Champions League	First Qualifying Round	B36 Tórshavn	4–1	1–0	5–1
		Second Qualifying Round	Benfica	4–2	0–6	4–8
	UEFA Cup	First Round	Rangers	1–1	2–4	3–5
2000–01	UEFA Cup	Qualifying Round	WIT Georgia	1–1	3–0	4–1
		First Round	PAOK	3–3	1–3	4–6
2005	UEFA Intertoto Cup	First Round	Sileks	4–3	2–1	6–4
		Second Round	Slovan Liberec	1–2	1–5	2–7
2006–07	UEFA Cup	Second Qualifying Round	Dinamo Bucuresti	1–1	0–1	1–2
2007–08	UEFA Champions League	Second Qualifying Round	Copenhagen	1–1 (aet)	0–1	1–2
2008–09	UEFA Champions League	Second Qualifying Round	Wisła Kraków	2–1	0–5	2–6
2015–16	UEFA Europa League	First Qualifying Round	Ordabasy	2–1	0–0	2–1
		Second Qualifying Round	Charleroi	1–4	1–5	2–9
2016–17	UEFA Europa League	First Qualifying Round	Sloboda Tuzla	1–0	0–0	1–0
		Second Qualifying Round	Omonia	1–0	2–3	3–3 (a)
		Third Qualifying Round	Jelgava	3–0	1–1	4–1
		Playoff Round	Saint-Étienne	1–2	0–0	1–2
2017–18	UEFA Europa League	First Qualifying Round	Vasas	4–3	3–0	7–3
		Second Qualifying Round	Botev Plovdiv	1–1	0–4	1–5
2018–19	UEFA Europa League	First Qualifying Round	Chikhura Sachkhere	1–2	0–0	1–2
2020–21	UEFA Europa League	First Qualifying Round	Teuta	N/A	0–2	0–2
2023–24	UEFA Europa Conference League	Second Qualifying Round	PAOK	1–4	0–0	1–4
2025–26	UEFA Conference League	Second Qualifying Round	Sutjeska

Team Records

Club Records

• Seasons in the Israeli Premier League: 53 (including 2021–2022)
• Biggest win: 9:0 (against Beitar Ramla F.C. in the 1992–93 State Cup)
• Biggest league win: 8:0 (against Hapoel Ramla F.C. in 1949–50)
• Biggest win in the top league: 8:1 (against Maccabi Herzliya F.C. in 1994–95)
• Biggest European win: 5:1 (against Floriana F.C. in 1996–97 UEFA Cup)
• Biggest defeat: 0:7 (against Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2000–01)
• Biggest European defeat: 0:6 (against S.L. Benfica in 1998–99 UEFA Champions League)
• Longest winning streak: 19 games (in 1966–68 season)
• Most wins in a top league season: 22 wins (in 1992–93)
• Most points in a top league season: 71 points (in 1992–93)
• Most league goals in a top league season: 75 goals (in 1993–94 and 2017–18)
• Longest scoring streak in league games: 43 consecutive games (from 2016–17 to 2018–19)

Player Records

• Most League appearances: Uri Malmilian, 423 games
• Most European appearances: Itzik Kornfein, 23 games
• Oldest first-team player: Arnest Weinberger, 40 years, 363 days (in 1957)
• Most goals in the League: Eli Ohana, 142 goals
• Most goals in the State Cup: Uri Malmilian, 29 goals
• Most goals in European games: István Sallói, 12 goals
• Most goals in one match: Simon Alfasi, 6 goals (in 1947)
• Longest time without letting in a goal (goalkeeper): Yosef Surijnov, 928 minutes (in 1974–75)

Former Players

Most Appearances

Rank	Name	Period	Games	Goals
1	Uri Malmilian	1973–89	423	140
2	Hanan Azulay	1974–89	396	041
3	Itzhak Jano	1968–83	375	009
4	Yossi Mizrahi	1972–88	371	000
5	Itzik Kornfein	1995–07	366	000
6	Eli Ohana	1980–87 1991–99	345	142
	Yossi Hakham	1965–80	345	001
8	Shaul Mizrahi	1953–70	304	040
9	Eitan Mizrahi	1989–03	299	012
10	Sammy Malka	1980–92	288	047

Most League Goals

Rank	Name	Period	Games	Goals
1	Eli Ohana	1980–87 1991–99	345	142
2	Uri Malmilian	1973–89	423	140
3	Raul Geller	1965–69	137	87
4	Udi Rubowitch	1963–74	281	081
5	Yossi Aminof	1957–67 1970–73	157	74

Player of the Year

Year Winner 2004–05 Avi Nimni 2005–06 Yoav Ziv 2006–07 Michael Zandberg 2007–08 Gal Alberman 2008–09 Barak Yitzhaki 2009–10 Ariel Harush 2010–11 Kobi Moyal 2011–12 Eli Cohen I (manager) 2012–13 Ofir Kriaf 2013–14 Ariel Harush 2014–15 Shlomi Azulay 2015–16 Dan Einbinder 2016–17 Idan Vered

Current Players

Team Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Yehonathan Ozer 2 DF Zohar Zasno 4 DF Jean Marcelin 5 DF Gil Cohen 7 FW Yarden Shua (captain) 8 MF Yarin Levi 9 FW Johnbosco Kalu 10 MF Adi Yona 11 FW Timothy Muzie 12 FW Nehoray Dabush 14 MF Jekob Jeno 15 MF Dor Micha 17 FW Yan Yusupov

No. Position Player 18 DF Grigori Morozov 19 DF Li On Mizrahi 20 DF Uri Dahan 22 GK Amit Korenfein 26 MF Ayi Silva Kangani 42 MF Aílson Tavares 44 DF Liel Deri 55 GK Miguel Silva 77 FW Omer Atzili GK Roy Sason MF Ziv Ben Shimol FW Dor Hugi

Other Players Under Contract

No. Position Player MF Ron Nulman

Players on Loan

No. Position Player GK Kim Zivat (at Hapoel Marmorek until 30 June 2025) DF Raz Baruchian (at FC Jerusalem until 30 June 2025) MF Miron Tal (at Beitar Nordia until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player FW Ofir Godosi (at AS Ashdod until 30 June 2025) FW Nadav Markovitch (at Hapoel Kfar Saba until 30 June 2025)

Foreign Players (2024/25)

Israeli clubs can have up to six non-Israeli players. Players who are married to an Israeli or have Jewish family history can get an Israeli passport or permanent residency.

• Ismaila Soro
• Mayron George
• Jean Marcelin
• Miguel Silva

Team Managers

See also

In Spanish: Beitar Jerusalén para niños