Eyal Berkovich Criticizes Growing Religious Influence in Israeli Football

Former Israeli football star Eyal Berkovich has voiced strong criticism regarding the increasing integration of religion within the Israeli national football team and the sport in general. Speaking on the "The Magician and His Sons" podcast with his son Lior, Berkovich recounted an incident where he saw national team defender and captain Eli Dasa boarding a flight with an exceptionally large Torah scroll, similar to those found in synagogues, packed inside a suitcase.

Berkovich stated he discussed the matter with someone from the Football Association, who responded, "Eyal, these are not the times you were in." Berkovich contrasted this with his own playing days, where religious observance was limited to Shabbat dinners and kiddush. He observed that currently, "everyone wears black kippahs, everyone prays, everything is constantly about religion."

Both Berkovich and his son agreed that this trend is widespread among the players. Eyal questioned the connection between football and religion, clarifying that he has no issue with religious players but questions the relevance of a religious lifestyle to the sport itself. He pointed out the apparent contradiction of players observing religious practices while still playing games scheduled on the Sabbath.

Berkovich also expressed his disapproval of how the Torah scroll was transported, stating, "You board with such a large Torah scroll... you should also respect the Torah scroll, putting it in such a box and in a suitcase, I don't like it." His son concurred, saying, "I also don't like it when they mix things, it's like mixing meat and milk."

Concluding his remarks, Berkovich stated that if he were coaching the Israeli national team, he would have "a very big problem with it," emphasizing that for him, the priority is clear: "First, it's a football team, and after that, everything else."