Genia Barkman says the media created a false image of his career

At 34, Genia Barkman says he is still not done and believes he remains good enough for Israel’s second tier, despite Nof HaGalil’s relegation to Liga Alef. Barkman, who is closely identified with Nof HaGalil, where he grew up and spent most of his career, said he is now waiting to see what comes next. He still has a contract with the club for one more season, but the drop to the third tier has changed everything.

In an interview on Sport 5’s “Five Personal,” Barkman pushed back against the notion that his future is automatically tied to Nof HaGalil. “The stigma is that Genia Barkman and Nof HaGalil are together,” he said. “The first thing that comes up when you say ‘Nof HaGalil’ is my name. Even the teams that wanted to approach me thought I was comfortable and good there. Either they did not want to deal with it, or they knew it was hopeless from the start.”

The interview also revisited key moments in his career, including a serious youth injury that once threatened to end it and a brief spell with Hapoel Kfar Saba in January 2018. Barkman was also asked about a move that had reportedly been close at Beitar Jerusalem in early 2018.

He did not say he was retiring, and made clear that he views himself as capable of continuing at Liga Leumit level, even though Nof HaGalil’s relegation has left his own next step uncertain.