Maccabi Petah Tikva F.C. (; "Maccabi Avshalom Ironi Petah Tikva F.C., ) is an Israeli professional football club based in the city of Petah Tikva. It is part of the Maccabi World Union for international Jewish sports clubs.
The club was founded in 1912 by a group of Jewish students from Petah Tikva, who were studying in the Ottoman city of Constantinople (many of them would later serve in the Ottoman army during World War I), making it the second oldest Jewish football club in Israel after Maccabi Tel Aviv, which was formed in 1906.
In 1921, after the death of founder member Avshalom Gissin during the 1921 Palestine riots, the club added his name to the club's name, and the club was named "Maccabi Avshalom Petah Tikva". In 1927, the club moved to the Maccabi Petah Tikva Ground, where they would play until the 1970s.
In 1935 they won their first piece of silverware, beating Hakoah Tel Aviv 1âÂÂ0 in the cup final. In 1939 they reached the final again, but lost 2âÂÂ1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv. The following year they won the Haaretz tournament.
The club was included in the new Israeli League in 1949, and finished fifth in the inaugural post-independence league table. In the next season (1951âÂÂ52, there was no 1950âÂÂ51 edition) they finished as runners-up to champions Maccabi Tel Aviv and also won the State Cup, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 1âÂÂ0. In 1953âÂÂ54 (1952âÂÂ53 was also not played) they also finished second with Eliezer Spiegel finishing as the league's top goalscorer on 16 goals from 22 matches.
After several seasons of mid-table finishes, Maccabi finished bottom of the table in 1962âÂÂ63 (a season in which the club were deducted 3 points due to suspicions of bribery during a game with Maccabi Jaffa) and was due to be relegated to Liga Alef. However, the Israel Football Association decided to expand the league from 12 to 15 clubs and they were spared demotion. However, the club was relegated for the first time at the end of the 1965âÂÂ66 season after finishing second from bottom.
After two seasons in Liga Alef (one of which;â 1966âÂÂ68 Liga Leumit â lasted for two years) the club won the Liga Alef Super Cup and returned to the top division in 1968âÂÂ69 as Liga Alef champions for the first time.
At the end of the 1970âÂÂ71 season the club was relegated again after finishing second from bottom but made an immediate return as Liga Alef champions (1971âÂÂ72) for the second time.
At the beginning of 1972âÂÂ73 season, the IFA organized a third-tier stand-alone cup competition (considered below the league and the state cup) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The cup was won by Maccabi Petah Tikva, who had beaten Maccabi Haifa 4âÂÂ2 on penalties (1âÂÂ1 a.e.t.) in the final.
In 1974âÂÂ75 season, although Maccabi finished bottom, they were again reprieved from relegation due to league expansion. However, after a repeated performance in 1976âÂÂ77 they did relegated for the third time. Following another immediate return to the top flight through a second-place promotion (1977âÂÂ78), the club maintained several mid-table finishes and have remained in top division for 10 seasons.
At the beginning of 1982âÂÂ83 season the IFA established Lilian Cup, a season opening tournament for the top 4 clubs in Liga Leumit the year before, considered a third-tier League Cup tournament (in parallel to the Israel Super Cup, which was played at the end of the season, and the Toto Cup, which was played throughout the season, mostly on weekdays). Maccabi finished 1984âÂÂ85 season in fourth place and gained a place in the 1985 Lilian Cup edition. The club reached the final, losing 3âÂÂ1 (a.e.t.) to Beitar Jerusalem.
The club finished 1987âÂÂ88 season at the bottom of the table and relegated for the fourth time. In 1989âÂÂ90 and 1990âÂÂ91 the club won the Toto Cup. After 3 seasons the club won the second-tier league championship for the third time (1990âÂÂ91) and returned to the top division, remaining there for 21 seasons.
In 1991âÂÂ92 season Maccabi finished seventh place, qualifying for the Intertoto Cup group for the first time (due to Hapoel Petah Tikva qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup). The club played in the Group stage with Czech side Slavia Prague, German top club Bayer Leverkusen, and the Israeli Maccabi Netanya. The whole stage was scheduled for July 1992 with Maccabi playing its first two matches in Petah Tikva Municipal Stadium, losing 1âÂÂ3 against Slavia and winning 3âÂÂ2 against Leverkusen. The next two games were against Netanya, Maccabi drew 0âÂÂ0 in Netanya Stadium and 2âÂÂ2 at home ground. At the following matches, Maccabi was defeated 0âÂÂ3 by Slavia in Stadion Eden and drew 1âÂÂ1 against Leverkusen in Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion. However, the club finished only third place in the group with five points.
In 1994âÂÂ95 season the club reached the top division's Toto Cup final for the first time, beating 2âÂÂ1 Maccabi Tel Aviv in Ramat Gan Stadium.
In 1996âÂÂ97 season Maccabi finished in fourth place, qualifying for the Intertoto Cup group stage for the second time. The whole stage was scheduled for JuneâÂÂJuly 1997, with Maccabi losing 1âÂÂ3 to German side Köln in Ramat Gan and deafening the Austrian side Aarau 1âÂÂ0 in Stadion Brügglifeld. The club also drew 0âÂÂ0 twice, first against the Irish Cork City in Kiryat Eliezer Stadium and then against the Belgian giants Standard Liège in Stade Maurice Dufrasne. Eventually the club finished in second place in the group with five points and failed to advance to the semi-finals.
In 2000âÂÂ01 season the club made a 3âÂÂ2 (a.e.t) sensational win over Maccabi Haifa and reached the cup final for the first time in 49 years (fourth time overall), losing 3âÂÂ0 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The 2004âÂÂ05 season marked the first time the club competed in UEFA Cup qualifiers after finishing third place of the league in the previous season. Maccabi began its way in the second qualifying round against Cyprus side AEK Larnaca, losing the first-leg 0âÂÂ3 in GSP Stadium. Two weeks later, the club enjoyed a moment of European glory, winning the second leg 4âÂÂ0 in Ramat Gan Stadium and advancing to the UEFA Cup first round after 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate. However, the first-leg of the tie against Dutch side SC Heerenveen in Israel was canceled by UEFA due to a baggage handlers strike, and the club lost the second-leg 5âÂÂ0 (also on aggregate) in Abe Lenstra Stadion.
Maccabi's most significant achievement of the decade came in the 2004âÂÂ05 season when the club finished second in the league and reached the group stage of the 2005âÂÂ06 UEFA Cup. In the second qualifying round the club defeated Macedonian side FK Baskimi 5âÂÂ0 in Skopje stadium and 6âÂÂ0 in Ramat Gan, advancing to the first round after 11âÂÂ0 on aggregate.
Maccabi entered as an unseeded team due to a low coefficient rating (7.218), and drawn a seeded team such as Partizan Belgrade with a much higher coefficient rating (30.012). The Serbian side won the first-leg 2âÂÂ0 in Ramat Gan. Two weeks later, at the second-leg in Partizan Stadium, Maccabi has made the impossible â contrary to all assessments and expectations, with a lot of faith and ability above all, they won 5âÂÂ2 and 5âÂÂ4 on aggregate. In a sensational comeback with striker Omer Golan scoring a hat-trick (21', 44', 48').
The victory sent Maccabi to be a member of Group B, along with Palermo, Brøndby, Lokomotiv Moscow and Espanyol. However, these elite clubs proved to be too much for Maccabi to handle, and the club lost all four group-stage matches, scoring just 1 goal while conceding 9.
After a defeat to Hapoel Beer Sheva in the 2020 cup final, the club reached the final again during the Israel State Cup campaign. Once more facing Hapoel Beer Sheva, the club managed to lift the trophy, securing their third cup win after a 72-year drought. At the end of the 2024/25 season, Maccabi finished the league in 13th place and was relegated to the Liga Leumit.
The club played at the Maccabi Petah Tikva ground between 1926 and the 1970s. Since they left the old Maccabi Petah Tikva ground they shared the 6,768-capacity Petah Tikva Municipal Stadium with city rivals Hapoel. At the end of 2011, the club moved to HaMoshava Stadium.