‘I had a duty to my team’ says Robbie Keane after criticism of staying at Maccabi Tel Aviv during war

Former Spurs and Ireland international Robbie Keane has explained why he chose to remain as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv during the war in Gaza last year, despite facing significant criticism in his native Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland’s all-time top scorer and former captain led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a remarkable season in 2023, securing both the Israeli Premier League title and the State Cup, as well as advancing to the Last 16 of the Europa Conference League – which set them up for their now controversial clash against Ajax earlier this month.

However, Keane’s decision to stay with the club after the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, 2023, was met with widespread backlash, particularly in Ireland.

In his first public comments on the matter, Keane, told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast that he felt a deep sense of responsibility to his staff and players, which influenced his decision to remain in Tel Aviv until the end of the season, despite the ongoing conflict.

“The war began, and we left the country, but I had five staff and a lot of foreign players who were relying on me as their coach. It wasn’t just my decision to stay—it was a group decision made by me and my staff,” Keane said.

“When you’re in a situation like that, it’s not just about football. My staff has families to look after, my players rely on me, and my analyst, for example, has a mortgage and kids. I had to think about all of them, not just myself.”

Keane explained that walking away from his role would have had significant consequences for his staff, many of whom had uprooted their lives to join him in Israel.

“For example, my analyst had been at Middlesbrough for 12 years before coming to Israel with me,” Keane said. “For me to just leave him and his family in a difficult situation wasn’t something I could do lightly.”

Despite the ongoing conflict, Keane’s decision to stay and help lead Maccabi to success was one that ultimately paid off.

“We were winning the league, hadn’t won it in three years, and we were doing well in Europe,” he continued. “The decision was tough, but we made it as a group. To win the league and the double was incredible, and nobody can take that away from me.”

Keane also talked about the personal toll of the situation, including online abuse that his wife, Claudine, faced as a result of his involvement with an Israeli football club.

In recent months, flags in support of Palestine have been displayed at several Republic of Ireland internationals, and during the FAI Cup final, Derry City supporters unveiled a large “Free Palestine” banner at Lansdowne Road.

“I understand the difficult situation, but we are all human beings,” Keane said, emphasising his commitment to his family, his players, and his staff during a tumultuous time.

In June, after Maccabi Tel Aviv’s successful season, Keane resigned with one year remaining on his contract.

“It was a tough time, but we all stuck together,” he said. “And in the end, we achieved something special.”