Robbie Keane has been confirmed as the new manager of Hungarian champions Ferencváros.
Keane travelled to Budapest on Sunday to conclude contract negotiations with club president Gábor Kubatov and sporting director Tamás Hajnal.
The 44-year-old will be joined by his former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach and Republic of Ireland team-mate Rory Delap and analyst Phil Hudson when they travel on Tuesday to Murcia, Spain to link up with the squad.
The Hungarian league is on a winter break until February 1st, with Leandro acting as caretaker manager since Dutch coach Pascal Jansen was released on December 31st after 30 games in charge.
Keane held talks last summer with Kubatov, who is also a deputy chairman of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, to replace Dejan Stanković but the club went with Jansen, who is now set to become New York FC head coach.
Ferencváros are currently second in Nemzeti Bajnokság I, a point behind Puskas Akadémia, having only lost two of 16 league matches under Jansen. They are also competitive in Europe, sitting in a play-off spot ahead of their remaining Europa League group games against Eintracht Frankfurt and AZ Alkmaar later this month.
In 2022 and 2023 the Budapest club brushed past Shamrock Rovers in European qualifiers with separate 4-0 wins over Stephen Bradley’s side at the Groupama Aréna.
Keane and Delap will prepare Ferencváros for friendlies against German club SC Preußen Münster this Friday and Polish side Piast Gliwice next Wednesday, both in Spain.
The Irish pair have not coached since leaving Maccabi last year after one season that yielded an Israeli premier league title, the league cup and progress to the knockout stages of the Uefa Conference League.
From his first press conference in Tel Aviv and throughout the war in Gaza, following the October 7th, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel, Keane would only speak about football matters. He parted company with Maccabi despite being offered a contract extension.
“The club wanted us to return for this season,” said Dave Sarachan, Keane’s former assistant manager. “At that point in time, it was very difficult for Robbie, outside of the football. He loved the football, but there was a lot of pressure coming from Ireland on Robbie as to why he would work in Israel. His family was still back in Ireland. There was just a lot of pressure on him.”
In November, Keane explained that he returned to Israel after the October 7th attacks to complete the season with Maccabi as he felt a “duty of care” to his staff and players.
Looking forward to his new job at Ferencváros, Keane wondered in an internal club interview yesterday: “We know we are a good team but what does a good team mean? Can we play energetic football the way I like to play?
“I think the supporters will enjoy the way my team plays.
“The message from me to the players, regardless of which team we play, is ‘we play exciting football.’ I want to send the fans home happy that they came to watch a really good football team.
“For me the most important thing about a football club is the people,” Keane continued. “That is the key. Sir Alex Ferguson told me in the summer, ‘Don’t pick the club, pick the people.’
“I know what I want to achieve here. Once I get to know the players and see what their mentality is, because I know my mentality, and if we are all on the same page we can push and thrive to be better every day.”
Keane’s first home game in charge will be against AZ Alkmaar, where another former Irish striker Troy Parrott has scored 11 goals so far this season, in the final Europa League group game on January 30th.
“I’m very excited to be here,” he added. “I’ve visited Budapest two or three times in the last few years, so I know the city. It’s a wonderful place, great people, and I’m looking forward to meeting the fans, but of course the reason I came here is football. I’m looking forward to meeting the players and the staff in Spain, that’s where the real work will start.”
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