Hapoel Haifa changed head coaches, players and stadiums. Now all that's left is to change results
Last season
They say that the direction a season is taking only starts to become clear at the half-way point. Last season that was especially true of Hapoel Haifa. The red half of Haifa began the season splendidly and after eight games only three points separated them from league leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv. It was all downhill from there and in the remaining five matches till the end of the first round of encounters between all the Israeli Premier League teams, Hapoel Haifa picked up just one point. From then until the end of the season they amassed the same 17 points they had earned until that time and finished just one point ahead of Ironi Ramat Hasharon, who were relegated. Last season there were only two things Hapoel Haifa could console themselves with – dumping Hapoel Tel Aviv out of the State Cup early on and beating Maccabi Haifa in their municipal derby for the first time in two years.
Status quo
Five losses in their first nine league outings is just a little bit much, even for the Hapoel Haifa we've come to know and love in recent years. Much as last season, their only consolation so far is that their illustrious municipal rival, Maccabi Haifa, are doing even worse than they are. They've only won twice this season, but neither of them was much comfort to owner Yoav Katz. The winning goal against Maccabi Netanya came a full three minutes into injury time and against Beitar Jerusalem striker Mahran Lala stunned the capital's "Teddy" Stadium with the matchwinner at the very same point in the game. In their last outing Hapoel Haifa posted their second draw of the season, and four points from their last two outings might just indicate that something is stirring in the ranks of Haifa's lesser known top-flight team.
Head coach: Reuven Atar
Two years ago Reuven Atar, eight – year veteran of the Israeli national team, returned as head coach to the team where he starred at the beginning of his playing career, Maccabi Haifa. After only eight outings, the first of which a defeat at the hands of Maccabi Tel Aviv, he was sacked when the club slipped into the relegation places. Four months later he was taken on by Maccabi Netanya to save them from the same fate, but there too there was no happy ending. It's a rather large monkey Reuven Atar is carrying on his back as he tries to improve Hapoel Haifa's fortunes, but at least getting revenge for that season-opening loss at Bloomfield Stadium in 2012 might go some way to lightening his load.
Players out:
This past summer Hapoel Haifa underwent a significant face lift. No less than seventeen players left the club, starting with Croatian born goalkeeper Dreshler Kale, who after four years and 116 appearances for the club departed for Hapoel Petach Tikva. Even the captain, six-year Haifa veteran Yossi Dora, was given marching orders, and march he did, 14 miles north to Hapoel Acre. Other key figures to depart included Argentinian midfielder Darío Fernandez (to Hapoel Afula), striker Yuval Avidor (to Hapoel Acre) and Montenegrin winger Zarko Korac, now plying his trade with Beitar Jerusalem. Defender Amir Nussbaum left for Hapoel Kfar Saba, midfielder David Revivo signed for Maccabi Yavne, defender Omri Kende looked for more play time at Maccabi Netanya and midfielder Ahad Azam took the step up to current league leaders Ironi Kiryat Shmona.
Players in:
After showing seventeen players the door in the summer, Hapoel Haifa undertook an intensive recruitment programme to find suitable replacements. Czech goalkeeper Premysl Kovar was brought in from Czech side Slovan Liberec along with defenders Gal Cohen and ex-Maccabi player Omer Vered from Bnei Yehuda and Mahran Abu Raiya from Hapoel Acre to strengthen the defence. The midfield was bolstered with four new faces: Kobi Dajani from Hapoel Beer Sheva, Steven Cohen and Yuval Shabtay from Hapoel Acre and roaming fullback Haim Megrelashvili from Cypriot side AEK Larnaca. Two foreign strikers, the Canadian Tosaint Ricketts and the Ghanaian Osei Mawuli, are meant to provide more fire power up front. But Hapoel Haifa's great white hope is midfielder Mindaugas Kalonas, with 48 appearances and three goals for the Lithuanian national team.
Player to watch out for: Or Ostvind
At the club he grew up in, Ironi Ramat Hasharon, Or Ostvind was regarded as a crucial piece in the future puzzle of the club's success. But despite two reasonable years with the team in the Israeli Premier league he never quite made the breakthrough that was expected of him. The 26 year-old defensive midfielder may not produce outstanding numbers but his versatile left foot and astute reading of the game have made him a lynchpin in the team's attacking play. He's started every one of Hapoel Haifa's games so far and has been involved in nearly all of the team's set pieces, which have won him two assists this season.
