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Keane linked, fans protest
Robbie Keane’s potential appointment as Celtic manager has drawn opposition from Celtic supporters groups after his previous role as Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach, with graffiti and banners appearing outside Celtic Park in recent days Thursday 4 June 2026 20:52, UK.
“- Published Several Celtic supporters clubs have put their name to a statement opposing the potential appointment of Robbie Keane as manager because of the Irishman's previous role as Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach”
Sky Sports said Keane is among the favourites to take charge amid reports he is involved in ongoing talks with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond, and it noted that the North Curve Celtic account on X published a list of 67 groups that have apparently endorsed the opposition.
In the statement circulated by the groups, Celtic Fans for the Liberation of Palestine said, "For us, Robbie Keane's decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv during the genocide in Gaza is impossible to ignore."
The BBC reported that the statement also said the appointment "would be deeply divisive among the support" and that the North Curve Celtic account on X published the names of 67 groups to have apparently endorsed the sentiment.
Voices, quotes, and outlets
The opposition letter, titled "OUR CLUB, OUR VALUES", was described by the Glasgow Times as an online statement in which the groups said they oppose the proposed appointment of Robbie Keane as manager of Celtic Football Club.
The Glasgow Times quoted the groups’ view that Keane’s decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv during the genocide in Gaza was "impossible to ignore" and that choosing to manage an Israeli club during a period of conflict was "unconscionable".
The Herald likewise said the statement urged the Celtic board to reconsider the appointment and reproduced the groups’ closing line, “NO TO KEANE.”
In parallel, the BBC said the statement was released from a group calling itself Celtic Fans for the Liberation of Palestine and that the North Curve Celtic account on X published the names of 67 groups to have apparently endorsed the sentiment.
What’s at stake next
As talks continue between Keane and Celtic, the BBC said the Republic of Ireland record goalscorer has won league titles in Israel and Hungary as a manager, and it placed his candidacy in the context of his resignation in the summer of 2024 after winning a league and cup double with Maccabi.
“Numerous Celtic supporters' groups have united in opposition to the potential appointment of Robbie Keane as manager”
The BBC also said Keane was appointed by Maccabi in June 2023, with Israel's bombardment of Gaza coming after the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October, and it reported that Keane later told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast that he felt a deep sense of responsibility to his staff and players.
For the Celtic supporters groups opposing the appointment, the statement warned that the choice would be "deeply divisive among the support" and framed Celtic’s origins around a "community shaped by the legacy of genocide, displacement and famine."
Sky Sports reported that Keane’s decision to stay in Israel after the conflict in Gaza began sparked criticism in Ireland and turned a section of the Celtic support against him, while it also noted that he enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Celtic Park in 2010.
