caused the club's leadership to ask for the postponement of Intertoto cup matches in the Summer of 2008, Most of the stars of the team were sold, most notably Maor Buzaglo who signed for Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the 2018–19 season the club ended dead last. After repromotion one year later the club's 2020–21 season started off painfully, with the first match ending in a 3–0 home loss to Bnei Yehuda. The next week, some of the team's players and management team had to quarantine as a result of COVID-19 pandemic precautions, and they played their away match against Maccabi Netanya with several absent players and no coach. After suffering a 7–0 loss, the greatest defeat in the club's history, the Sakhnin chairman left the administrative division of Ligat Ha'al. Despite a horrible start with just one point after the first six matches and closing the season with four more losses the club could avoid relegation by being one point better than Bnei Yehuda. In popular culture The rise of the Bnei Sakhnin F.C. was the subject of a popular documentary film by noted Israeli director Ram Loevy. The team is also the subject of the critically acclaimed 2010 documentary film "After The Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United", which follows the team after they win the Israel State Cup directed by American Christopher Browne. Sponsorship During the 2005–06 season, the club signed a shirt sponsorship deal with Israeli mobile phone company Cellcom. Talks are currently ensuing over continuing the deal even though the chief executive of Cellcom's Arab sector affairs, Suliman Diab, has left his non-executive post with Bnei Sakhnin to join Liga Artzit (third tier) side Bnei Tamra. The club's budget was bolstered on 15 June 2006 when Gaydamak announced that he would donate two million shekels to the club in hope that they will make a return to Israel's top league. Support The fan base of Bnei Sakhnin is smaller in comparison to other Israeli clubs. The majority of fans of Bnei Sakhnin are Palestinians. The Bnei Sakhnin fan club is called Ultras Sakhnin 2003 (US03) or Duha Gate 4–5 (named due to the gate numbers that leads to their stand), it was established in 2003 after they got promoted to the top division. Other fan clubs that they have friendship with is Ultras Hapoel 99 fans of Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C., Ultrà Sankt Pauli 2002 of FC