The 42

ROBBIE KEANE HAS been confirmed as the new manager of Hungarian champions Ferencvaros.

Keane flew to Budapest on Sunday evening, and was confirmed as manager on Monday afternoon. Keane will now fly to Spain to take charge of a training camp in Spain, with the Hungarian league season currently on a mid-season break.

Keane replaces Dutchman Pascal Jansen, who left the club at the end of 2024 to take charge at New York City in Major League Soccer. Jansen leaves Ferencvaros in a strong position, second in the league but a single point off the league leaders, and with a game in hand. They are also in line to progress to the first knockout round of the Europa League, as they rank 16th in the 36-team table with two games remaining.

Keane has not worked in management since resigning from Maccabi Tel Aviv last summer. Keane won a league and cup double with Maccabi, adding the League Cup to the club’s first league title in four years.

Keane faced some criticism in Ireland for continuing to work in Tel Aviv after Israel launched a war on Gaza, in reprise to the Hamas attacks of 7 October.

Keane told Rio Ferdinand’s podcast last month that he remained at Maccabi Tel Aviv for the whole of last season as he felt a duty of care to his staff and players.

“We were winning the league, they hadn’t won it in three years; we were in Europe and doing very, very well”, said Keane.

“My analyst guy for example, he’s got a mortgage. He’s got a family, he’s got kids he has to feed. The decision just to step away from something, it’s not just my decision, it’s everybody else’s decision, which was tough.

“Let’s make it clear, what is happening is terrible and nobody wants to see it and hopefully it ends very, very soon. But at the end of the day, I’m a football manager and my staff have got people to look after. I’ve got a duty of care.

“So I made the decision to stay until the end of the season and walk away from a big contract [with] another year, possibly two more years.”

Written by Gavin Cooney and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.