First title for Hapoel

Hapoel Kiryat Shmona will represent Israel in the Champions League next season after clinching the Ligat Ha’al title with a 0-0 draw against Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The result left them 16 points clear of Hapoel Tel Aviv with only five games remaining, and was the culmination of an astonishing season for the Galilee minnows.

Five-thousand fans invaded the pitch after the final whistle to mark the team’s first-ever top-flight success.

HPS manager Ran Ben Shimon said: “This is a great moment for the club.”