Nir Berkovich Denied Coaching Jobs Due to Brother, Claims Eyal Berkovich

Nir Berkovich, who has been without a coaching position since leaving Hapoel Ra'anana last season, is struggling to find his next role, according to his brother, former Israeli football star Eyal Berkovich. Speaking on the radio program "5 באוויר" on Tuesday, Eyal argued that Nir's coaching record in Israel's second division, the Liga Leumit, is superior to many of his peers. He highlighted Nir's success in promoting teams like Rishon LeZion, Ness Ziona, Umm al-Fahm, and Ahi Nazareth, and noted that Nir took over Ra'anana when they were second to last in the standings.

Eyal Berkovich defended his brother's management style, acknowledging it wasn't perfect but asserting that players universally admired him. He stated, "Professionally, he is better than all the coaches in Liga Leumit because factually he succeeded. Factually, he has coached 7-8 teams to date and succeeded with 6. Factually, coaches who don't succeed get jobs and he doesn't. Why? Because he is my brother."

Berkovich suggested that Nir's desire for complete professional autonomy clashes with the reality of the Liga Leumit, where club owners often interfere in technical decisions. He cited an example involving Ironi Kiryat Shmona, implying that owner Izzy Sheratzky might prioritize playing time for his grandson over professional merit.