Ex-Maccabi Tel Aviv Player Viktor Belkin Reveals Past Drug Use and Spiritual Journey

Former Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Viktor Belkin, now 53, has revealed details about his struggles with marijuana use during his playing career in Israel and his subsequent spiritual transformation. Belkin, who won the Israeli championship with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1995, admitted to smoking marijuana during that championship season and later becoming addicted to it for about ten years, stating it "calmed me down." He also confessed to having "money, drugs, and alcohol" but not feeling happy during a period when he worked as a hotel porter in Israel after his playing career. Belkin, who played two stints in Israel and was once considered a potential transfer to Ajax, described a period of intense aggression and anger after retiring from football, which led him to excessive behavior and hindered his potential. He eventually found solace and a new path through yoga and meditation, leading him to become a holistic health workshop facilitator in Ukraine, teaching Qigong and Hatha Yoga. Belkin explained that his current work involves helping people "control energy" and "take responsibility for their lives," with the goal of "purifying the person." He also discovered he has Jewish roots on his mother's side, which he felt a connection to upon arriving in Israel. After his football career ended, he returned to Ukraine but felt lost, eventually returning to Israel where he worked as a hotel porter before receiving offers to play again. However, financial issues and a relapse into drug use led to further setbacks. Belkin spent seven years living in isolation in a village as part of his spiritual journey, which he described as a period of psychological changes and visions, before emerging as a facilitator of holistic practices.