Despite their current crisis, Beitar Jerusalem will remain determined to finish in the top six
Last season
After having escaped relegation on the last day of the 2012/13 season, Beitar Jerusalem were more than happy to settle for a mid-table finish in 2013/14. Since ending the 2009/10 season in the top-half table playoff, the only heights the club have enjoyed have come from their location in the hills of Jerusalem. It's been quite a while since the capital city's foremost club have packed a punch and last season too their only consolation was emerging winners of the play-offs in the lower half of the Israeli Premier League table. Much like their current season, Beitar last year showed some sparkle in beating the likes of Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa, but fifteen league losses don't buy much at the local shops, let alone on a European high street.
Status quo
With five current season draws, Beitar are just one behind their total 2013/14 season total, demonstrating more than anything their cautious approach to the league this year. By conscientiously protecting their backs they've conceded fewer goals than any other club in the league so far, but they haven't exactly been tearing into their opponents at the other end either. In their first seven games they fluctuated between flickers of fortune against Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv and five league draws before suddenly remembering they could lose as well. Three consecutive defeats did little to improve the mood among the Beitar faithful and in their last home fixture against Hapoel Petach Tikva, Beitar played in front of just 4,000 fans at their "Teddy" Stadium, with a capacity of 34,000. Perhaps the relative quiet proved inspirational, but in any case the Beitar phoenix rose from the ashes with a convincing 3-1 triumph that provided them with much needed breathing space.
Head coach: Menachem Koretski
For new head coach Menachem Koretski, Beitar is undoubtedly a step up in his coaching career and an opportunity to make a name for himself. One of the younger coaches in the Israeli top flight, Koretski is only in his second year in full charge of a top-flight side, and that with a team, Hapoel Ra'anana, with lesser ambitions than Beitar. Prior to that he spent season 2012/13 sharing managerial duties with Maccabi Tel Aviv's current first team manager Benny Tabak at Ironi Ramat Hasharon, who enjoyed an historic season that saw them finish in the top six play-offs. It was at that successful juncture that he abandoned ship after differences with the club's management and he took over coaching duties at Hapoel Ra'anana, then in the second division. By the end of the season though he had earned them a place in the top flight with seven consecutive wins that brought him back to the centre stage of Israeli football. Last season he continued to surprise his critics and Ra'anana's ninth-placed finish was enough to earn him the job at Beitar.
Players out:
To say Beitar underwent a face-lift in the summer would be a gross understatement. No less than fifteen players left the club, a number of whom are now playing at clubs abroad: Defender Nisso Kapiloto signed for Swiss side St. Gallen, defender Shai Haddad joined fellow Israeli Toto Tamuz at Romanian side Petrolul and midfielder Sintayehu Sallallich is now plying his trade with Maccabi's Slovenian summer rivals Maribor. Three of Beitar's four foreign players left the club after just half a season. On the domestic front goalkeeper Ariel Harush departed on bad terms and joined Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi's own Moshe Lugassi end a loan spell and midfielder Dor Malul left for Hapoel Beer Sheva. Three players crossed the road to other Jerusalem teams, two to Katamon, one to Hapoel Jerusalem. On-loan striker Shlomi Azulay joined Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Players in:
Ironically, a second Shlomi Azulay, last season midfielder at Hapoel Rishon Lezion, joined Beitar this summer, one of eleven players to do so. Montenegrin winger Žarko Korać joined from Hapoel Haifa and along with Brazilian midfielder Claudemir Ferreira and Spanish defender César Arzo forms the club's foreign contingent. Hapoel Tel Aviv's Boris Kleiman was signed to Ariel Harush's place in goal, along with defender Ze'ev Haimovitch.Maccabi petach Tikva contributed both midfielder Lidor Cohen and defender Shmulik Malul and striker Tomer Swisa arrived from Hapoel Beer Sheva.
Player to watch out for: Hanan Mamam
At 25, midfielder Hanan Mamam seems finally ready to show his potential. His father was a Maccabi Haifa star, but the son began at the red end of Haifa, before arriving in 2012 at Hapoel Tel Aviv. After a less than spectacular season at Belgian side Beveren, he joined Beitar and after eleven outings he appears to be bedding in. And it's not just his three goals and an assist. He's been involved in all the team's good attacking play so far this season.
