Robbie Keane and his management team are due in Israel in the “coming days” as the Republic of Ireland’s record caps holder and goal scorer begins his managerial career with a two-year contract at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“I am happy to take on this challenge at Maccabi,” said Keane via a club statement. “My team and I are already looking forward to starting work and we are confident in our ability to do what is necessary to prepare the team for the upcoming season.”
Keane’s back room staff have yet to be revealed.
This is the 42-year-old’s first managerial role having worked as assistant to Sam Allardyce at Leeds United from May to June this year when the duo failed to avoid the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
Keane previously worked as an assistant to Jonathan Woodgate at Middlesbrough and under Mick McCarthy, during his second stint as Ireland manager. When McCarthy was replaced by Stephen Kenny in 2020 Keane also left the set-up, as Damien Duff and Keith Andrews were recruited by Kenny. However, Keane remained under paid contract to the FAI until July 2022.
The former Irish captain also has player-coaching experience in India at ATK for three matches in March 2018. He subsequently coached at Shamrock Rovers for free.
“Even since Mick’s contract with Ireland ran out when Covid hit, and wasn’t renewed, and Woody [Woodgate] lost his job at Boro, I’ve been making sure I stay in the game by helping out at Shamrock Rovers off my own back,” revealed Keane in 2021. “I’ve got a lot from helping my local team, from helping players regardless of their experience or level.
“I’m a people person, and I played the game for 25 years, so I know what players want. I know training sessions that keep players engaged and demand a lot from them. As a player, I demanded a lot from myself and that’s what I want from players I’m coaching.”
It is possible that Keane’s early days at Maccabi will bring him back to Tallaght Stadium. After finishing third in the Israeli championship under Spaniard Aitor Karanka, who lasted just 23 matches, Maccabi enter qualification for the Europa Conference League in round two, where St Patrick’s Athletic, Dundalk and Derry City hope to feature. Also, Shamrock Rovers could be redirected from the Champions League qualifiers to the Conference League.
Keane arrives into a challenging environment in Tel Aviv: Serbian Vladimir Ivić (2018-2020) is the last manager to last longer than six months, with Giorgos Donis, Patrick van Leeuwen, Mladen Krstajić, Karanka and Ivić's second coming all proving short lived.
Mitchell Goldhar, the billionaire Canadian owner of Maccabi, noted that “Robbie brings with him the mentality, character, energy and focus of a winner, qualities that he demonstrated everywhere he played. These characteristics combined with the ambitions to succeed as a coach are in line with our goals at Maccabi.”
