By David Gold
July 7 – A former Israeli Health and Justice Minister, Haim Ramon, has taken over Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Ramon said that 12 million new Israeli shekels (£1.9 million/$3 million/€2.4 million) would be paid to current owner Eli Tabib to leave the club, who only took over Hapoel (pictured above) last season following a court battle.
He became unpopular with the fans though, particularly after the firing of Dror Kashtan (pictured below) as coach.
It compounds a miserable week for Tabib, who is also being indicted by a Tel Aviv court for allegedly assaulting a minor.
Ramon is a Hapoel supporter and a former member of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset.
He was a member of the centrist Kadima, the party with the most seats in the Knesset, but who are kept out of power by a coalition thanks to Israel’s strictly proportional electoral system.
Ramon left the Knesset at the last election in 2009, and will hope to help Hapoel, who were runners up in the Israeli Premier League last season, win the title they last claimed in 2010.
The 62-year-old said that long term he wanted to ensure half of the club was run by supporters.
“Hapoel Tel Aviv fans, more than in any other team, are the heart and soul of the club,” he said.
“This combination of heart and soul, we hope, will bring success.
“We want to win the Premier League championship as well as the derby.”
Ramon refused to give details of the consortium behind his takeover, insisting their identity was irrelevant because “these people have no stake in the team”.
He added that the names of those who bought the club would be registered with the Israeli Football Association.
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