Football: Berkovitch declares truce with Rovers

THE West Ham midfielder Eyal Berkovitch has called a truce with the Blackburn Rovers players he had accused of racially abusing him during the clubs' FA Cup fifth-round encounter last month.

The Israeli international had claimed that a number of Rovers players had made anti-Semitic remarks to him following his involvement in the sending-off of Kevin Gallacher at Upton Park, and he was roundly booed every time he touched the ball by the crowd at Ewood Park in the replay.

However, Berkovitch said he had enjoyed a drink with the Blackburn players after the Hammers' penalty shoot-out victory last week and now considered the matter closed. He told an Israeli newspaper: "I'm pleased to say that the racist issue came out. In my opinion, it won't return on the field, at least. We had a friendly chat about the issue. We agreed that it was just words spoken in anger."