Celtic soccer fans protest tapping of Robbie Keane as coach over stint in Tel Aviv |
Celtic’s interest in appointing Robbie Keane as its new manager has sparked anger among the marquee Scottish soccer club’s pro-Palestinian fans due to his previous role with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Keane is the leading contender to take charge of the Scottish champions after reportedly entering talks with the club’s principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond.
Keane, a former star striker who is Ireland’s all-time top goalscorer, enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Celtic in 2010.
In June 2023, prior to the Hamas-led October 7 invasion, he signed a two-year contract to become the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, saying in a statement that he was “delighted to take on this challenge at Maccabi.”
But he left after just a year amid the war in Gaza, following the team’s 2024 championship season, a decision he called “difficult.”
Nevertheless, his choice to stay in Israel after October 7 and the beginning of the subsequent war in Gaza sparked criticism in Ireland and turned a vocal section of the Celtic fan base against him.
Celtic supporters have displayed Palestinian flags at matches throughout the conflict.
Now graffiti and banners opposing the prospect of Keane becoming manager have appeared outside Celtic’s stadium in Glasgow.
A statement from a group called Celtic Fans for the Liberation of........