Ophir Ragev, chairman of Liga Bet club Hapoel Lod Bnei Regev, broke his silence this week on allegations that he threatened a lawyer's life, telling ONE's "Today's Conversation" programme that he "may have gotten the wording wrong" and was "emotional" when he sent the message at the centre of the affair.
"I apologised for it, and I was also called out for it," Ragev said on air, responding directly to attorney Ohad Cohen, who had appeared on the same programme earlier to describe what he said were explicit threats on his life.
The dispute traces back to Hapoel Lod's scramble to register players for the 2026/27 season. According to ONE's earlier report, the club faced a registration deadline with the Israel Football Association while still owing money under arbitration rulings obtained by clients of Cohen, a sports lawyer and co-chair of the Israeli Bar Association's sports law committee.
Cohen told ONE he received a threatening text message late one Thursday night, sent via a family member's phone, and said it amounted to a genuine threat on his life. He filed a police complaint for murder threats, and a restraining order barring Ragev from approaching him was subsequently issued. "Red lines have been crossed," Cohen said at the time. "Threatening a lawyer's life for doing their job is a serious crime."
Ragev, for his part, acknowledged sending a harsh message but disputed Cohen's characterisation of it as a death threat. He said he would not threaten someone while already blocked from contacting them directly, and framed his outburst as frustration over the club's financial and administrative troubles rather than genuine intent to harm anyone.
Hapoel Lod carries the name of Ragev's late father, Bnei Regev, the club's longtime mythical figure who died in 2024 and after whom the city's municipal stadium was later renamed in tribute. Ophir Ragev has been steering the club through a turbulent period since taking over, with unresolved player debts repeatedly threatening its ability to field a team.
Police brought Ragev in for questioning near his home after Cohen handed over the messages, and the case remains in the hands of investigators. ONE did not report a resolution to the arbitration debts or confirm whether Hapoel Lod's registration for the coming season has since been finalised.
The affair has drawn attention within Israeli football's legal community given Cohen's standing in the sport, and it leaves an awkward backdrop for a club still trying to rebuild on the pitch under a name meant to honour its founder.
