Nir Klinger says armed men drove him to a basement meeting over Avi Nimni

Israeli coach Nir Klinger described intense pressure that followed Avi Nimni’s release in 2003, saying the situation became so extreme that, in his words, it was “crazy.” The remarks were published on June 16, 2026, at 13:28, as part of the full second segment of “Asseheim Hosts” on Sport 5’s 5SPORT channel, scheduled for 19:00.

Klinger said that after the farewell conversation, the protests and pressure to bring Nimni back began coming from the highest levels. In the headline tease, he claimed that armed men transported him to a meeting in a basement where there was a picture of Nimni. He also suggested that even Benjamin Netanyahu was involved in the pressure campaign.

The comments refer back to the aftermath of Nimni’s 2003 release, which Klinger says triggered a dramatic and unusual chain of events around the club and the player. The article presents his account as part of an on-air interview teaser, with the implication that the full segment includes more details about the events and the pressure he faced.