The Israel-Palestine conflict has spread to the most unlikely of arenas — Scottish football. The famously pro-Palestinian fans of the Glasgow club Celtic have reacted angrily to plans to appoint a manager who spent a season in charge of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Robbie Keane, a former Celtic player, is the leading contender to take charge of the Scottish champions after talks with the club’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond.
Supporters’ groups said hiring Keane “would be deeply divisive among the support.”
They said: “Celtic supporters have a long and proud history of solidarity with the Palestinian people. For us, Robbie Keane’s decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv during the genocide in Gaza is impossible to ignore.
“To choose to manage a club in Israel while, less than 40 miles away, the same country was using indiscriminate weapons of mass murder against defenseless people is unconscionable. “Celtic was founded by a community shaped by the legacy of genocide, displacement and famine. Our club’s roots lie in solidarity with those who suffered injustice and oppression. We urge the Celtic board to listen to supporters’ concerns and reconsider this appointment.”
Celtic were founded in 1887 by an Irish Catholic priest with the aim of alleviating poverty in the east end of Glasgow, and their fans have a long history of supporting progressive causes. They have displayed Palestinian flags at matches throughout the conflict with Israel.
Keane, 45, who is Ireland’s record goalscorer, enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Celtic in 2010.
He was appointed by Maccabi in June 2023, and resigned in 2024. His decision to stay in Israel after the conflict in Gaza started sparked criticism in Ireland and turned a vocal section of the Celtic fanbase against him.