Genia Berkman, 34, says he is reassessing his future after the relegation of Hapoel Nof HaGalil to Liga Alef, even though he still has a contract there for one more season. In an interview on Sport 5's "Five Personal," he said he still belongs at the level of the Liga Leumit and is not showing signs of retirement.
Berkman, who is most closely identified with Nof HaGalil, where he grew up and played for most of his career, said the club and his name are almost inseparable. "The stigma is that Genia Berkman and Nof HaGalil are together," he said. "The first thing when you say 'Nof HaGalil' is my name. Even the teams that wanted to contact me thought I was comfortable and happy. Either they did not want to deal with it or they knew it was hopeless from the start."
The interview also revisits several turning points in his career, including a brief stint with Hapoel Kfar Saba in January 2018, a transfer that had already been essentially finalized to Beitar Jerusalem, and an early injury that threatened to end his career. The segment also frames the current moment as a crossroads for a veteran player whose team has dropped divisions.
