Robbie Keane named manager of Ferencvaros

Robbie Keane has returned to management with Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

The Republic of Ireland’s all-time leading goalscorer was in charge at Maccabi Tel Aviv for 18 months until he left the role last June.

The Dubliner moved into coaching in 2018 as player-manager at ATK in India and worked as an assistant to Ireland boss Mick McCarthy during his second spell in charge, and later took up a similar role under former Spurs team-mate Jonathan Woodgate at Middlesbrough.

He was part of Sam Allardyce’s staff at Leeds as they unsuccessfully tried to pull off an unlikely escape from Premier League relegation at the end of the 2022-23 season, but was then offered the chance to manage in his own right by Maccabi.

Under him, they reached the last 16 of the Europa Conference League, won the Israeli league title and claimed the Toto Cup, but his reign attracted criticism in Ireland after he opted to remain in his post following Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Keane – who will be joined in Budapest by assistant coach, and fellow former Ireland international, Rory Delap, and analyst Phill Hudson – later said he had stayed on for the sake of his players and staff and revealed he had rejected a lucrative offer to carry on his work.

Ferencvaros confirmed that Keane is their new boss this afternoon without specifying the length of the contract.

He arrived in Budapest last night and will join their winter training camp in Spain tomorrow.

The Hungarian side have played Shamrock Rovers twice in European qualifying rounds in recent years and remain in this year’s Europa League, where they will face AZ Alkmaar next.

In a statement on their website, the Hungarian outfit said: “We announce the successor to Dutchman Pascal Jansen to lead our 35-time champion and 24-time cup winner team, as the 146-time national team player of the Republic of Ireland Robbie Keane.”

Ferencvaros are currently in second place in the league table but were without a manager after Jansen departed for New York City in the MLS.