Berkovich Recalls Tense Manchester City Stint Amid French Unrest
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Former footballer Eyal Berkovich recounted feeling ostracized by 12 Muslim French players during his tenure at Manchester City due to competition for playing time. He also expressed suspicion towards the team's private chef, fearing he might be poisoned. These recollections emerged during a radio discussion about the organized and coordinated violent riots currently occurring in France, which experts describe as unprecedented in their planning.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Eyal Berkovich felt targeted by 12 Muslim French players during his Manchester City career.
- Berkovich suspected the team's private chef and feared he might poison him.
- The footballer's comments were made in the context of ongoing violent riots in France.
- Experts describe the French riots as highly organized and coordinated, not spontaneous.
- Ali Benarbia was a key player in the tension, often benched for Berkovich.
Former Israeli footballer Eyal Berkovich recalled a period of tension during his time at Manchester City, attributing it to strained relationships with Muslim French players on the team. Speaking on 103FM radio, Berkovich described a situation where he felt outnumbered, stating, "It was 12 Muslims against Eyal." He explained that the friction stemmed from competition for starting positions, particularly with Algerian midfielder Ali Benarbia, who was often benched in favor of Berkovich. Berkovich felt resentment from the other players because he was playing while Benarbia was not.
Berkovich also shared a peculiar memory from the team's dining hall, where the players brought their own French Muslim chef. He recounted his suspicion of the chef, saying, "Every time he would bring the food, I would tell him: 'You eat first.'" He implied a fear of being poisoned.
The discussion about his past experiences was prompted by the ongoing violent riots in France. During the radio segment, blogger and France expert Itai Saliar commented on the unrest, characterizing it as more organized and coordinated than previous riots. Saliar noted that participants were scheduling future actions, referring to them as "acts" or "pulses," with a specific date mentioned for November 5th.
Saliar further observed that the events were eliciting unusual reactions from the French public, including a business owner in Lyon confronting the mayor. He described the French as typically polite but capable of being very blunt. Saliar highlighted the challenge faced by security forces due to the participants' apparent coordination, citing the Interior Minister's statement that the riots could not be controlled because they were pre-arranged and not spontaneous outbursts.