RAZGRAD, BULGARIA - FEBRUARY 26: Robbie Keane, Head Coach of Ferencvarosi TC, looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Ferencvarosi TC and PFC Ludogorets 1945 at Ludogorets Arena on February 26, 2026 in Razgrad, Bulgaria. (Photo by David Balogh - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Today Paulina put up a piece about Kieran McKenna, and how Celtic have probably missed out on him because he has just led Ipswich Town back to the Premier League. That will make it incredibly difficult to get him to leave now that he has that stage on which to build the next phase of his career.
But aside from the managerial speculation about McKenna, there has also been a lot going around about Robbie Keane. Before we get down to the actual nitty-gritty of the Keane story, let me get the bullshit out of the way first.
Because there was a lot of bullshit in the headlines about this story.
Some headlines suggest that Keane has presented some kind of list of demands to Dermot Desmond. That is absolute rubbish, and anybody putting that in a headline is engaging in blatant dishonesty.
There has been no official contact between Celtic and Robbie Keane that anyone can establish. So, if there are demands being made on either side, nobody is writing about them because nobody knows what they are.
These completely dishonest headlines are intended only to get clicks for what is, in fact, a complete non-story.
What this amounts to is little more than Don Hutchison saying that he is very impressed by Keane, that he thinks he would be a good manager at Celtic, and that the first thing he would insist on is a multi-year contract.
That is the extent of it. There is no insider knowledge in anything Hutchison has said. It is just more speculation to add to the tonnes of it already out there.
It is one man’s opinion, not just on Keane, but on the kind of deal he thinks Keane would want if Celtic ever approached him.
It is tiresome having to do this every single day. It is tiresome reading stories in the hope that they contain some actual factual information, only to discover, yet again, that all we are getting is the uninformed opinion of some former player.
But I welcome the chance to write about Keane anyway, because I want to do a little bit more of a dive into him.
And I want to put something out there that has nothing to do with his ability as a football manager, but which I nevertheless find concerning. I know a lot of Celtic fans will find it concerning too. Some people might dismiss it as being of no consequence.
They are entitled to think that. Maybe they are even right to. But it does not pass the smell test for me. It leaves a bad taste, and it is going to make an already difficult sell to much of our fan base almost impossible.
Everyone knows Keane went to work for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Everyone knows why that was controversial, and I don’t think it is unfair to say that a lot of people viewed that as a serious error of judgement, especially given the wider political context in Israel and Palestine.
The club exists within a country whose government is responsible for policies and actions many Celtic supporters find abhorrent. Keane’s response at the time was that he did not want to get into politics, and that he was there as a football man.
I understand the line. I just don’t find it convincing.
Football does not float above the world. It does not exist outside politics, history or human suffering. A manager can say he does not want to get into politics, but sometimes the job itself drags politics into the room whether he wants it there or not.
Now, Maccabi Tel Aviv are not Beitar Jerusalem. That distinction matters. Beitar are the club with the most notorious reputation for racism and a connection to politics in Israeli football. If Keane had gone to work there, we would not even be discussing this because his appointment at Celtic would be an absolute non-starter, even among some fans who believe none of this should matter.
Still, Maccabi was controversial enough.
I don’t think it is as simple as condemning him for one choice. If you are a manager looking for your first major job and you get an offer like that, there is a lot to consider and a lot to weigh up. But your conscience should be part of that decision-making process.
It seems that, for him, it was secondary.
The fact that he was there during a period of hellish violence against Palestinians is not something that should go uncommented on or be treated lightly.
He was a first-time head coach looking for his first serious job. Self-interest obviously overruled whatever ethical concerns he may have had. You can argue that he took the chance because he did not know if another would come again. That is how he would frame it himself, and that is broadly how he has explained it.
But his success there put him on the map.
It brought him to the attention of clubs in other countries, including England. I would not say his options became unlimited, but they were certainly not as constrained as they would have been had he gone there and failed.
His success opened doors that otherwise might have stayed closed.
Then he chose Ferencváros in Hungary.
That is where I start to wonder. Why them?
There may have been jobs open to him in England. Perhaps he wanted to go to a top-flight team with a realistic chance of winning things, all the better to further enhance his career. That is a reasonable football explanation.
But it is also an unusual choice of club. It gets even more unusual when you consider who Ferencváros are and the political ecosystem around them.
The club has, for a long time, been chaired by Gábor Kubatov.
He is a senior political figure in Fidesz, Viktor Orbán’s party. Orbán, before his recent defeat, was Europe’s most prominent right-wing nationalist leader, a friend of Donald Trump and an ally, in significant ways, of Vladimir Putin.
Some of Hungarian football is wrapped up in state power, nationalism, symbolism and patronage. Ferencváros sit comfortably inside that world. They were the team of the Orban hierarchy as much as Beitar were the Likud club.
This is not just an old historical curiosity. It is not simply that Ferencváros, like many clubs in central and eastern Europe, have complicated history behind them. It is that the modern club is also tied into a political structure which many people, including many Celtic supporters, will find deeply troubling.
As was the case with Keane’s former Israeli employers, the politics around the club are impossible to ignore. So, when you step back and look at the pattern, it is concerning.
Keane has now worked for two clubs whose surrounding political contexts are deeply uncomfortable for a large part of the Celtic support. One in Israel during a period of appalling violence in Gaza. One in Hungary, under the influence of a political football culture shaped heavily by Fidesz and Orbán.
That does not mean Keane shares those politics.
I am not saying that. In fact, it is entirely possible that ideology has nothing to do with it at all. The supporters of those two clubs are not natural political allies in every respect. Their histories, identities and obsessions are different.
But what does seem clear is that Keane has shown himself willing to work in close proximity to political power without appearing especially troubled by the nature of that power.
That is the concern. He may not care who he works for, or how that power is exercised, or in whose interests, as long as the football opportunity is good enough.
And that matters when we are talking about Celtic.
Under normal circumstances, you would simply ask whether this guy is a good football manager and leave it there.
I’m going to be blunt. Paulina has already beaten me to this subject, and on strictly football terms there is an argument for Robbie Keane as the next manager of Celtic. There is a case to be made. I won’t say it is a very strong one, but it is much better than some of the arguments being made for other people who have achieved nothing of any significance in the game so far.
If he had chosen two different clubs, there would not be much to talk about beyond whether he belongs on the shortlist. And in that version of events, he probably would.
But he did not choose two different clubs.
He chose Maccabi Tel Aviv. Then he chose Ferencváros.
That changes the conversation.
I don’t think Celtic should wait until the pictures appear in the papers of him smiling alongside people who represent things this support finds repugnant before we admit that this is a problem.
In both circumstances, on both occasions, he knew who he was going to work for. He knew the nature of the clubs he was getting involved with. He knew the environment. He knew the baggage. One club like that is bad judgement.
Two is much harder to excuse.
None of this means he should never work again. None of this means he cannot be considered by other clubs. None of this even means that every Celtic supporter will care. But he would have trouble being accepted here.
He would have trouble making the case that he is a suitable person to lead this club.
I was already opposed to the idea because it would be divisive at a time when Celtic desperately need unity. But now, the football reasons do not come close to balancing out the negatives. And the football reasons would have had to be better anyway.
It is one of the few names on the list where, for me, there is no room for negotiation. No grey area. No “wait and see.” No attempt to talk myself into it. Robbie Keane to Celtic is a non-starter. It must not happen. It cannot happen.
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Jesus, first time ever I wish I’d followed dad not mum and supported The Jags. Will you start vetting staff now? Probs several Tories to oust could even be some Reform in the building…you know there will be many Reform and Conservative covers in our support, they unwelcome too??? Or shamefully make players such as Lila Abadal feel leaving better, what he do bar being born? I know we have many supporters working for or using Microsoft Amazon X add infinitum … They no allowed either? U pure as snow?? A good Irishman, A fantastic servant to the Republics team, a brilliant player, a most promising manager, Morrissey’s cousin. Would love him and a few of his Eire boys as our management team.
Lila Abadal – Wrong name and a myth about him leaving because of Celtic supporters Palestine support. Stop reading the tabloids.
Who gives an eff if Keane is a good Irish man, it’s totally irrelevant – it’s that sort of basic thinking that’s holding Celtic back.
James, I understand your reasons for not being enamoured with Robbie Keane as a potential Celtic manager, you have explained those reasons well enough, but I doubt if DD reads or is influenced in any way by your articles, and at the end of the day he will choose who he wants. No matter how much any of us bump our gums on this subject, none of us have a say in the matter and we will all be forced to accept whoever our major shareholder decides will be our next team selector.
Correct Johnny, in fact if DD does read James articles then that would make up his mind it’s Robbie Keane!
This is the kind of sh*t I’d expect on their forums. Fk sake he wasn’t in the IDF or MOSSAD he managed a football team!! Also McKenna was never an option (Again the type of sh*t I’d expect on their mental forums). If Keane is best available get him in and then back him at all levels.
I don’t like the political make up of the clubs Keane has coached either. I will put that up front. I’m not a believer in the hype surrounding Askou and would like someone with a little more pedigree than him. However, let me ask you a question. If it wasn’t for him coaching Maccabi and the Hungarian club would you favor Keane? Because of all the choices out there he actually is the one seeming like the best.
Mckenna? Forget it he’s premier league now. Knutsen, same, if he moves it will be to a top 5 league after his champions league run – we blew that one. Roberto Martinez? I suspect this one is a media cooked up pipe dream but if it isn’t we’re waiting until at least July to even have a chance at him and that’s not a great time to rebuild. Bellamy? he’s only a few notches ahead of Askou in my book based on the fact that he’s only coached Wales and even then I can’t say to much success. Outside of that the Celtic realistic list is looking a bit thin. All I’ve heard out of this blog is who we don’t want and the idealism of what we do. I haven’t really heard a realistic candidate and of the names I hear and an ambitious Keane doesn’t seem terrible. He’s ambitious, a proven winner with competitive leagues, he’s respected among the larger leagues (many Tottenham fans wanted him over Di Zerbi), he’s a better pedigree than any name I’ve realistically heard tossed around.
We’re not landing an Ollie Glasner or a Arriola. Outside of Keane, so far Martin O’Neil staying on doesn’t sound like the worst option either if else were looking at the Bellamy Askou barrel. Outside of them I’m struggling to find candidates and the ones I’m pondering don’t exactly excite me either. Would we prefer Steve Cooper? Sean Dyche? I can’t even picture Nuno coming north.
Agree with you here Jim.
I’m so sorry James but you have completely lost the plot here. I voted Lib Dem in the local elections where I live – will you let me into Celtic Park? When you say “much of the Celtic support won’t accept Keane” on what do you base this? You cite no evidence whatsoever.
Following your logic to its conclusion, we would end up with a supporter base of 1, being you (that assumes of course that you don’t buy any IT stuff from China given their human rights record, that you don’t use Amazon, Google or MS given the environmental impact that they have and that you are at least vegetarian and preferably vegan).
Based on performances Keane is an option for me alongside JBA at Motherwell – I won’t be asking either who they voted for.
In case you haven’t noticed Celtic and Irish people to have a special affinity with Palestinians.
I’d have thought you might have noticed all the Palestinian flags brought to Celtic games by Celtic supporters.
Have you ever seen a Celtic game ?
Lila Abadal – Wrong name and a myth about him leaving because of Celtic supporters Palestine support. Stop reading the tabloids.
Who gives an eff if Keane is a good Irish man, it’s totally irrelevant – it’s that sort of basic thinking that’s holding Celtic back.
My goodness James, I share a lot of your political views, but in this case I think you’re going a bit over the top. I don’t know what Robbie Keane’s political views are, but I’m pretty sure he’s not a right wing fascist.
I’ve got strong political views which lean very much to the left, supporting Celtic over the years always had a wee bit of a political under current about it that you couldn’t be unaware of.
Are we going to vet everyone as to their political beliefs before the appointment of a manager, my goodness going down that road is a very dangerous game.
Politics aside, Keane has went abroad and had success which will improve him as a coach, to criticise him for going to Ferencvaros because of tedious links to Viktor Orban is a bit of a stretch.
Sorry James. Robbie Keane was in Israel when hellish violence was enacted on oct 7th. I don’t blame you for omitting this, because it is getting airbrush from history. I agree with many of your political views James but not this. I am totally against the bombardment of Gaza but we need to ask ourselves how we would feel about the attack on Gaza, where Hamas are hiding, if it was our kids who were raped and murdered on October 7th?
I get that it is a widely held belief that Israel has no right to exist but I disagree with this. Even so, these kids didnt deserve that, just because they happened to be Israelis or jews, same as the kids in Gaza cant help where they were born.
We cant as a football club take the moral high ground regarding players and managers from Israel while turning a blind eye to the oppression of woman, persecution of gays and widespread human rights abuse in Saudi and not least the genocide in Yemen.
In a footballing sense, what makes it worse is that nobody is going to saudi to further their careers. It is for cold hard cash alone. Jota may be ignorant, I don’t know, but Brendan is not.
Jordan Henderson might be considered by far the worst example, virtue signalling LGBT rights at Liverpool, then accepting £millions from a place where gays are punished with death.
Regarding Robbie it was widely reported that his wife felt under threat in Ireland after his stint in Israel and for that reason alone I think he would knock back the job, but you never know and I doubt if we can attract anyone better.
Why does Israel keep stealing the homes and land of Palestinians ?
There is practically nothing left of the Palestine that was created in 1948 as it is being eroded every year with new built illegal Israeli settlements and land grabs.
How would that make you feel if you were a Palestinian and they took your home ?
UN international law stipulates that all people who are living under illegal occupation have the legal right to fight the occupier.
UN international law states that many Palestinians live under illegal occupation so have the legal right to fight the occupier.
What say you to these questions?
Volp, I’m not going to get in to the complex details of Israels existence but I think there should be an Israeli state in that area where jews can feel safe. Millions of non jews live in Israel. If you gave Israel to the Palestinians to control every jew would have to leave. There is not a single other country in that area where jews feel safe. Not a single jew lives in Jordan . A handful live in Egypt and Saudi. How do you feel about that volp? Never hear any comments about that. Why are we not allowed to mention that?
Regarding Celtic signing managers and players. We overlook the horrific treatment of woman gays and many others in Saudi. Dont forget about the genocide in Yemen if you have even heard of it.
Probably applaud our captain if he heads off to saudi same as we welcome jota back.
Not a peep about saudi or any other country in that area.
How do you feel about that volp? Despite your proclaimed vast knowledge of the middle east never hear anything from you apart from the horrors of Israel.
You try and justify a terror organisation that executed its own people to cheering crowds in the street as soon as Israel left, they crawled out of the gutter like cowards as soon as seize fire announced.
You dont say how you feel about Robbie Keane either on this thread but don’t worry I don’t see him taking his family here after the abuse they received from a minority in Ireland.
You create strawmen points to debate rather than what I asked.
Because you can’t face the truth or you would answer.
Saudi?
Dreadful human rights and the genocide of Yemenis was utterly barbaric, they with the other dictatorships Britain created have apparently been helping Israel shoot down Iranian missiles.
What say you about that?
Noam Chomsky was detailing how the IDF disappeared Palestinians from the streets all the time and that was back in 2004.Not from me but from him.
I never said Israel shouldn’t exist so that’s another strawman. The UN advocates a 2 state solution returning to pre-1967 borders.
Peace and a settlement for all eh ?
But that’s the whole point volp. You dont care about the atrocities and persecution of gays in saudi etc. You dont care about the oppression of half the population. All you ever mention is big bad Israel The land of the jews. Jews cannot live in any of the countries that surround them. If any of these countries had the knowhow they would blow the jews off the face of the earth. You dont give a shit about any of that though do you?
Strawman? lmfao.
Get a grip and at least be fuckin honest
Celtic is a British club mate. First British club to win the big trophy. Most of its supporters choose to live here and have a good life.
Ditch your fucking hatred and move on. Leave all that to the Ibrox mob ffs!
You think its a stawman that jews cant live in any of the countries surrounding them unbe- fucking- lievable!
Would you be happy if the 26 counties of Ireland were still under British occupation and no one there fought against it and drove them out ?
Volp, I am not happy about any war or violence but sometimes it can be justified.
Many Irish and descendants now choose of their own free will to live in Britain and most are very happy here. Thousands are still choosing to leave Ireland and come here and I think we should try and live in peace because only a tiny percentage on both sides wish to carry on the hatred. Most Irish folk north and south support English teams not scottish. In Liverpool especially there are thousands of Irish and Irish descendants who are ST holders. They don’t drag up all the shite at any games. It would be unacceptable but for some reason in Scotland we can put up banners and sing songs that are unpalatable in modern day Scotland.
I dont see the millions of Irish in America kicking off about Donald Trump where it would certainly be justifiable!
Justified if it’s your side doing the war and violence?
Brave people gave everything,their lives ,to free their people from oppression and genocide in Ireland and you want it buried.
No.
We are all the same infinite eternal consciousness but until we realize that and live as one we need reminders.
Do you suggest we forget about all historical atrocities towards your people to and not celebrate those who freed them from hate and evil?
History needs remembering or we might repeat it and freedom fighters deserve celebration for giving their lives to free us from hate.
All terrorism is bad ,state terrorism is no different and usually always comes first.
When the seize fire was agreed and Israel left Gaza, hamas (brave people in your eyes) crawled out of their holes and like cowards executed fellow Palestinians in the street in front of a cheering mob.
These people may be hero’s in your eyes but not for me. Same as the folk in Ireland who kneecapped or beat up their own people…they are gangsters and rule by fear.
Not in my name!
Don’t always agree with you James, (of course !!) but I’m 100% with you here. If anything I’d probably have even more antipathy towards a prospective Keane appointment in rhe dugout. What totally sickens, me however are those who…claim to be Celtic fans who are either clueless or have little to no respect for our clubs’ historical culture & values.
At the end of the day it’s up to the billion £ moustache who does favour Irish managers and deliberately ignores much of the paying Celtic peasantry, so anything is possible.
I did previously see him as favourite for those reasons but that has changed with the recent detente, and especially with the Celtic fan rebellion still hitting the profit margin and a future resolution essential. It would be tone deaf and show disregard of Celtic fans once more so I see a less controversial appointment as the easier option.
I agree on the Israeli club. Israel is an apartheid state (as well as being a lunatic one). We wouldn’t accept some guy in the 1980s from a South African club, would we? Incidentally, I had to laugh at the black Jews who were refused entry to the Air Raid shelters – well, they are not white European’s so f*** ’em! I dont think it extends to Hungary though. Sure, Orban is a nasty bit of work. Charles Haughey, former Prime Minister of Ireland was also a nasty corrupt individual and a great friend of Lucan. Conclusion: DD No longer welcome? Wim Jansen worked in Saudi Arabia. Ok with that?
Why, oh why, oh why – Did the beautiful game of football ever intertwine with the ugly fuckin game of politics…
Tragic really…
Anyway my political team did not too shabbily yesterday – Well done ma SNP…
Now go and get Scotland fuckin INDEPENDENT away from English rule !
Very dissapointed that politics gets into this james. Honest tae fuck there are sites for this as you know andcomment on /in .
Just look at the response the loons bring on here. Leave it out ffs.
I will note just for you james and a couple of these loons that ireland , that being the free state has always remained neutral in any world conflict as did all good irishmen, however we were not slow in coming forward in dealing with facist goverments in the buying of arms during the struggles in our war against the impearilists.
I make these points simply to demostrate that history is alive, that what you assert is not always cut and dried and that really lets just stick to the beautiful game
Are we not a club for all?
Have commented before that Keane is the absolute outstanding candidate among those that are realistic for us to attract to the spfl.
So disappointing that so many are so whiter than white to have him tarred and feathered for life because he probably naively took a job as a great football opportunity not fully grasping the exact nature or scale of the politics of it especially if things later escalated in the region, as they did during his time. Once appointed he probably felt it was too late to change his mind and again probably naively thought he could take ride out any criticism and take an apolitical position as he was only interested in the football of it and once in the job it was too late to change his mind. In fact I believe he was later heavily criticised within Israel for not condoning the war and was probably glad to get out of there when he did.
You question why he took the Ferencvaros job rather than one closer to home? I would guess that mostly he wanted out of Israel to a job elsewhere, it might be in part the personal criticism he had faced at home too, especially if there is any truth that his wife felt unsafe or uncomfortable at home as lsomeone above alluded to, coupled with the fact it was a good football opportunity away from that spotlight and criticism at home, and there may have been not many other attractive offers available at the time closer to home anyway.
A bit of a stretch to find tenous links to make Ferencvaros seem as distasteful as the Israeli club, or to paint Keane as somehow attracted to or seeking out such links at clubs is disappointing and not the standard I’ve come to expect of this blog. We would rightly dismiss as moonhowling if for example an English club or it’s fans essentially blackballed a former Celtic manager accusing him of links to the IRA or something stupid like that.
I thought with his proven managerial success now in two different leagues allied to his previous ties to the club giving him a headstart understanding the requirements and expectations, over the likes of a Wilfried Nancy coming in cold for example, it made him the outstanding candidate.
It probably won’t be an issue now though, not because the club will care what fans think of him, even if they think its a vocal minority, but I think he probably will realise himself the heat it would put on him and his family now, even if unfairly, as some fans would be against him from the off. His previous profile as a player and success as a manager so far means he’ll probably get and accept a crack at a decent job in England in the future and by then, like McKenna, the ship will have sailed for us, it probably has already due to the opposition to him already, even though I just do not understand it personally.
I fear if Keane is offered and turns it down it’ll probably then be Bellamy or Askou incoming instead, probably Askou, and feel thats a much riskier appointment. Neither of them has a managerial record close to Keane.
Disappointing more than anything as probably could have been a really good up and coming dynamic and successful appointment for the next few years. We need a big reset and team rebuild at the club this summer, similar but even bigger to that carried out by Ange Postecoglou a few years ago, and Keane is the only realistic candidate I can think of that had that record of league winning success elsewhere that Ange also had.
Ultimately there is more important business to attend to this week first, if we somehow win this league and possibly the double O’Neill deserves a statue, whatever the outcome he deserves our appreciation and thanks and respect for taking it all the way which seemed very unlikely after the Nancy tenure. It will then be interesting to see how the summer unfolds. Hopefully some boardroom changes happen too, it won’t be a dull summer thats for sure.
But that’s the whole point volp. You dont care about the atrocities and persecution of gays in saudi etc. You dont care about the oppression of half the population. All you ever mention is big bad Israel The land of the jews. Jews cannot live in any of the countries that surround them. If any of these countries had the knowhow they would blow the jews off the face of the earth. You dont give a shit about any of that though do you?
Strawman? lmfao.
Get a grip and at least be fuckin honest
Celtic is a British club mate. First British club to win the big trophy. Most of its supporters choose to live here and have a good life.
Ditch your fucking hatred and move on. Leave all that to the Ibrox mob ffs!
Oh and Hamas are no heros of mine so don’t put words in my mouth.
Going to bow out of this now. I wish we could all live in peace and I detest the hatred in these political threads.
Celtic is a football club and we should not be picking and choosing in these situations.
Remember how it all began in Nazi Germany and dont let that happen here!
Good luck to Robbie Keane wherever he goes!
What hatred?
I must have missed that.
I’ve seen none on here so if you think there is some please point it out rather than just saying there is.
Mr Mojorisin @ 9.01pm…
Celtic are a ‘Brit’ club by geographical destinations only and nothing else…
The club and most of it’s supporters abhor ‘Britain’ and it’s murderous history over many continents and colonies – None more so than The Island of Ireland…
I honestly don’t know enough regarding things in The Middle East to comment one way or the other but learned differing opinions tonight between yourself and Volp, however I am hugely clued up on the continuing Brit colonialism of Ireland !
You are confused.
I’m no fan of Saudi or the other British created dictatorships in the region.
You know nothing of what I think.
All I mention is Israel you say.
Well the ONLY reason I mention it is a counter to you or others mentioning it first.
Don’t you like both sides of the story being aired?
I stated a 2 state solution as advised by the UN is the ideal resolution ,so how is that “not giving a shit” about Isrealis ?
“Be honest”, you wrote, so you insinuate I’m not ??? Show me anything I’ve written that isn’t honest.
“Ditch the [my] hatred”
Is wanting peace and an end to oppression everywhere “hatred” now ?
You’re tying yourself in knots pal and now you say Celtic are British.
Yeah we are British as in part of a group of islands geographically called the British Isles. But we are from a people who were the victims of one of the largest genocides per capita of any country on earth.Perpetrated by those who took great glory in calling themselves “British”.