Genia Berkman, the face and captain of Hapoel Nof HaGalil for the better part of two decades, is leaving the club. ONE reports that the 34-year-old defender has ended a 16-year association with the institution and signed with Hapoel Beit She'an.
It is the end of an era in the Lower Galilee. Berkman joined as a boy at the club's academy when it still played under the name Hapoel Nazareth Illit, rose through every age group and eventually became captain of the senior side, missing only a two-year stretch away at Hapoel Kfar Saba between 2018 and 2020.
By ONE's count he leaves with 496 official appearances and more than 40 goals in club colours, one of the most durable and recognisable careers in Israel's regional leagues over the past decade and a half.
"I'm leaving with my head held high, knowing I gave everything of myself," Berkman said in a statement carried by ONE, describing a club that "shaped me as a person" and taught him about "commitment, loyalty, sacrifice and true love for the symbol." He acknowledged, too, that "not always does the ending look like we dreamed," before thanking coaches, teammates, staff and supporters for the years together.
Along the way Berkman was part of a promotion, a Toto Cup triumph and a run to the State Cup semi-final, honours that made him something close to a totem for a club still known to many veteran fans by its old name.
The farewell comes at a low point for Nof HaGalil, who were relegated to Liga Alef this past season after finishing bottom of the pack in the relegation playoff group, a drop that has reshaped the squad the captain is now leaving behind.
His next stop, Hapoel Beit She'an, plays in the same Liga Alef North division, meaning Berkman effectively swaps dressing rooms rather than levels — a lateral move for a player evidently determined to keep playing regularly rather than wind down.
For Nof HaGalil, the task now is rebuilding without the player who had been synonymous with the club through relegations, promotions and cup runs alike; for Berkman, a new chapter starts a short drive south, at a club chasing its own climb back up the pyramid.
