Retired soccer star Eyal Berkovic in 2010 (Roni Schutzer/Flash90)
Israeli sports journalist Becky Griffin on Thursday accused the retired soccer legend Eyal Berkovic, who owns the Hapoel Rishon Lezion soccer club, of sexually harassing her.
In a Facebook post, Griffin alleged that Berkovic — who appeared in 79 games for the Israeli national team in the 1990s and 2000s, and played for a string of Premiership clubs over a career in Britain spanning a decade — had put his hand down her pants and made lewd propositions to her.
“I have to say that until that evening I didn’t even know the man, who’s repulsive to me in every respect,” Griffin wrote in a Facebook post alleging the abuse by Berkovic, which she said took place when he was a married man.
“More than anything, I felt insulted and humiliated,” she said.
Becky Griffin (Flash 90)
It wasn’t immediately clear when the alleged incident took place, although Channel 2 reported that it was too long ago for Griffin to press criminal charges.
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Berkovic dismissed the allegations, saying they were “all lies.
“She is a liar; none of this ever happened,” he told Channel 2. “I don’t even know what she looks like. I’ll consult my lawyer and consider my response.”
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