Since Brendan Rodgers departed Celtic on Monday night, the rumours surrounding who is next in the Celtic Park hot seat has intensified throughout the week…
We have had all sorts of names crop up. Most have been predictable enough such as former manager Ange Postecoglou, Kjetil Knutsen and Marco Rose. Recently however we have seen a few other names come to the fore such as Kieran McKenna, Nicky Hayen and Lee Carsley.
There are certainly some decent options out there for Celtic and I imagine the rumour mill will continue in full fettle until that ultimate decision is finally made. Let’s hope and pray it’s a choice all the fans can get behind as we continue to try and navigate our way through what has been a tumultuous season so far.
One name who has piqued my interest has been former Celtic and Ireland striker Robbie Keane. He is prominent in the betting and there have been rumours abound that Dermot Desmond would be keen, no pun intended. Friends in the media have been talking him up, with pundit and former teammate Jermaine Jenas saying he would be a great fit for Celtic and that the fans would absolutely love him.
As most of you will know, the 45-year-old previously played for the Hoops during a loan spell in the second half of the 2009/10 season, scoring an impressive 16 goals in 19 games and certainly became a fan favourite. He was also one of the best strikers in Ireland’s history, where he made 146 appearances scoring 68 goals.
When Keane finally retired he moved into management, firstly as a player manager at Indian side ATK before having stints as an assistant manager at Middlesbrough, Leeds and Ireland. Having cut his teeth as an assistant he was then to move into the hot seat once more, but it was his choice of club that become hugely controversial.
Robbie Keane took up the job of manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv in June 2023.
Keane’s appointment was criticised by the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which urged him to join “the international athletes who fight for the rights of the Palestinians and oppose cooperating with apartheid“, and by Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews, who expressed disappointment that Keane had signed up with a “racist and apartheid Israeli club”. A lot of Irish people, including myself, were absolutely disgusted by Keane’s decision to put money before morals. I felt like his whole legacy had been tarnished.
Keane chose to work for a club who are prominent supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu and his despicable allies in Israel. A club who’s fanbase is well known for it’s hatred of Arab and Palestinian players, even ones who have represented their club. Many have tried to defend Keane, including his wife, saying he’s a sportsperson who has no idea about politics and only moved to Israel for sporting reasons, to help further his career. Absolute nonsense. He knew when he signed there that it was ethically wrong but chose to take the post anyway.
Israel’s war on Gaza and the Palestinian people has been going on long before 7 October 2023. It’s ridiculous to state as a defence that ‘he joined before the war started’. Israel’s brutality against Palestinians has been ongoing for decades, a fact known world wide and constantly highlighted in Ireland. To pretend to have no knowledge of this is completely fatuous.
Even after the events of October 2023 and the full scale invasion of Gaza, Keane still remained in Tel Aviv. As thousands of innocent people including countless children lost their lives at the hands of the IDF, Keane still didn’t hand his resignation in. He continued in his role until the season ended before departing, claiming that he didn’t want staff members he had brought to Israel with him to lose their jobs because of him. How heroic. It’s a pity he wasn’t so worried about how his continuing presence in Israel was helping the country by sportswashing their global image.
It annoys me that Robbie Keane’s name is even being linked with Celtic.
He should never return to our club in any capacity. A man who’s moral compass is as distorted as Keane’s should be nowhere near our club. I truly hope this rumour is exactly that, lazy hacks linking an Irish former Celtic player who is now in management with our vacant post.
The problem is with Dermot Desmond and our board still in charge nothing would surprise me. We all know Dermot loves employing fellow Irishmen. The fact he would come considerably cheaper than some of the better names that’s been linked.would.also hold much appeal to our board.
With the club going through such a turbulent period and with the fans faith in the board at an all time low, a controversial appointment like Keane would be disastrous.
It would intensify fan resentment towards the board. It would lead to conflict between certain sections of the fan base. It would bring an avalanche of unnecessary friction that would totally derail the club moving forward. I genuinely can not think of a move divisive appointment than Keane. This board may be inept but even they can surely see that bringing him in would be catastrophic.
Although we all know that whatever Dermot Desmond wants, he will get. To hell with how the supporters feel.
Our next manager needs to be a man we can all get behind. Someone not only skilled at his job, but a figure whose principles align with those of our fan base.
That man is NOT Robbie Keane.
Conall McGinty
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I sympathize with your politics, but my first wish is that we get a competent manager, and apart from his spell in Israel he has had success with other clubs,winning league and cups,so cut him some slack,and forgive that one mistake,he was new to management and needed experience. Remember we cheered players from that same Israel, never will agree with the politics of that regime, but my first wish is for celtic!
Fuck politics palastineni whats that got with do with ireland nothing arcurisrts that having been looking for a media platform since vaselane and missle place in the gareloch has died down they well some have attach themselves to the green brigade mostly younger ultras they have been raising there flags and banners forced a young Israeli international abd one of our better players but as soon these flags started appearing Abada had to go and we were lucky to get money he would have been a great assit to our club now we are desprate for some one with his wing play and goal scoring rate him better than khun thr flags are dissapearing when fans see whats happening to our club been used by these people looking for a media platform and the have it with Celtic ultras young nieve group of kids angry with the mess grown ups are doing to there world but Celtic are not your answer the majority of fans know there politics and dont want it at there club they want a club that plays good football where players enjoy there football and surroundings you are sussed and when it comes down to politics and Celtic F-C -1888 a club for all
This is the kind of juvenile politics that drives many of us mad with the vocal chunk of our radical fan base.
There is a simplistic idea that you can reduce the Israel Palestine problem down to “goodies” and “baddies”. It’s pathetic.
The Israel Palestine conflict is a complex problem. Many Palestinians express their understanding of the nuance of the Israeli position better than western radicals like the childish views of the author above.
Robbie Keane worked in Israel. That’s it. 20% of Israelis are Arabs (like Beram Kayal). Trying to smear any Israeli associations with war criminals is desperate.
I’ve read posters in other places refer to Keane as a Zionist rat. It’s horrible behaviour.
Get a life. Seriously. I have matched for the Palestinians since it became fashionable, but this crap that dictates that a man can’t be desperate to take a job in an industry in which he obviously craves a footing is ridiculous. Does anyone believe that Robbie Keane is pro Israel? Grow up. We wouldn’t slag off a manager for taking a job in America, the state that has bombed a country each year the past 70 years. I wonder if you reserve the same false holier than thou attitude for Nigerians, or those who have worked in countries that actively persecute Catholics.
I want a manager who wins us football games.. full stop. if that man is Robbie Keane thats fine by me. I don’t want people more interested in geopolitics than football trying to influence who our next manager should be.