 The "home" match attracted a crowd of just 300, and Hapoel lost the tie 5–0 on aggregate (1–0, 4–0).The following season, the costs of playing in Europe and the loss of many of the best players saw the club finish bottom of the table, resulting in relegation back to the third level.A 9-point deduction for financial issues at the start of the 2005–06 season resulted in another season of struggle, with the club finishing one place above relegation.