Tel Aviv derby

Tel Aviv derby

Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv
Location	Tel Aviv, Israel
Teams	Maccabi Tel Aviv Hapoel Tel Aviv
First meeting	25 February 1928 (Friendly) 19 December 1931 (League)
Latest meeting	17 January 2024 (2023–24 Israeli Premier League) Maccabi 4–2 Hapoel
Stadiums	Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv
Statistics
Meetings total	167
Most wins	Maccabi Tel Aviv
All-time series (Israeli Premier League only)	Maccabi: 62 Drawn: 59 Hapoel: 46
Largest victory	Maccabi 5–0 Hapoel (1969–70 Liga Leumit, 2016–17 Israeli Premier League, 2021–22 Israeli Premier League and 2023–24 Israeli Premier League)

The Tel Aviv derby (Hebrew: הדרבי של תל אביב) refers to football matches between Israeli clubs Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv.^[1]

The rivalry between the clubs also exists in basketball, although Maccabi have been the dominant club in Israeli basketball since the 1960s.

Maccabi Tel Aviv was established in 1906, while Hapoel Tel Aviv was founded in 1923. Although initially reluctant to play each other, in early 1928 the clubs came to an operating agreement, and the first friendly encounter between the teams took place on 25 February 1928 on Maccabi ground, with Maccabi winning 3–0,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} With a rematch played a week later on Hapoel ground, this time Maccabi winning 2–1.^[7]

Between them, the clubs had together won 36 championships and 40 national cups. Both clubs have played in the top division of Israeli football both before and since independence in 1948, with the exception of the 1989–90 season, when Hapoel played in the second tier following relegation the previous season and with the exception of the 2017–18 season, when Hapoel played in the second tier following relegation the previous season. The first league encounter between the teams was played on 19 December 1931, and the points were shared with a result of 1–1.^[8] Prior to independence, the clubs have met 17 times in the league, out of which Hapoel won 9, Maccabi won 5 and 3 resulted in a draw.^[9] Post 1948, Maccabi holds the lead with 62 league victories, opposite 46 Hapoel wins and 59 draws. Overall, since 1931, Hapoel has 55 league victories, Maccabi has 67 and 62 matches ended with a draw.

The two clubs met 8 times at the Israeli State Cup final, most recently at the 2020–21 Israel State Cup Final. The clubs also met in several other competitive tournaments, such as the Toto Cup and the Israel Super Cup.

The rivalry between the traditional background of the Hapoel and Maccabi sports associations led to the development of the rivalry between the clubs. The two clubs have different support bases; Hapoel are linked to the working-class, whilst Maccabi are considered a more middle class club. However nowadays this is mostly no longer the case with both clubs having a massive nationwide fanbase.

A 3 November 2014 match was cancelled after numerous fans ran onto the pitch and began fighting with players and other fans. Hapoel's manager called it a "black day" for Israeli football.^[10]

The derby has in recent years declined in relevance and fierceness, with Hapoel's rivalry with Beitar Jerusalem becoming more relevant and fierce in recent years as well as Maccabi's rivalry with Maccabi Haifa becoming more relevant. This is largely due to the decline of Hapoel Tel Aviv since 2010 which included going into administration and being relegated in 2017, as well as the massive dominance of Maccabi Tel Aviv who won 5 league titles during that time as well as a domestic treble.^{[citation needed]}

Both clubs currently play at the Bloomfield Stadium. When Hapoel Tel Aviv are the home team in the derby gates 10–11, are reserved for fans of Maccabi. When Maccabi Tel Aviv are the home team, gates 4–5 are reserved for fans of Hapoel.

Other matches between top-tier teams from Tel Aviv, currently Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, and in the past also Beitar Tel Aviv, Shimson Tel Aviv and Maccabi Jaffa, and between those other teams and either Maccabi or Hapoel are usually referred to as the Tel Aviv mini-derby or the Little Tel Aviv Derby. ^[11][12]