PRO-Palestine campaigners have urged Celtic to heed fans' calls and not appoint Robbie Keane, who managed an Israeli side during the genocide in Gaza, after it emerged he is leading an alternative to Martin O’Neill.
Celtic have faced backlash from their fans over Keane’s potential appointment as the club’s new manager after he decided to remain in charge of Maccabi Tel Aviv after Israel’s war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks in 2023.
The 45-year-old, who played for Celtic in 2010, said when he was appointed as Maccabi Tel Aviv’s manager in June 2023 that he did not want to “get into politics” and that he was there as a “football man”.
Celtic Fans For The Liberation Of Palestine (CFLP) released a statement on Tuesday, stating they “oppose” the potential appointment of Keane at the club and have urged the board to reconsider the move.
The support group said Keane’s decision to manage Maccabi Tel Aviv “during the genocide in Gaza is impossible to ignore”.
Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card, an international grassroots campaign led by football fans, activists, and human rights advocates, has urged Celtic’s top brass to listen to Celtic fans' calls.
Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card told The National: “Keane managed a team in Israel during the most horrific months of its onslaught on Gaza.”
The statement added that “by acting as manager and failing to speak up on Israel's genocide on Gaza,” he is “essentially normalising” the genocide in Gaza
“This does not line up with the values that Celtic FC was founded on and that are shared by a huge proportion of their fan base.
“By appointing him as manager, the board would once again be ignoring the wishes of committed fans, whose support is vital for the club's success, as proven by this last season.”
The statement ended saying that Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card “stands in solidarity” with CFLP, who have “shown unwavering support for Palestine, despite the attempted silencing from the increasingly out of touch board”.
During Keane’s time in charge of Maccabi Tel Aviv, it was reported that the team's players were shown “inspirational” messages from the Israel Defense Forces, according to Scottish Sport for Palestine.
When the former Tottenham and Liverpool forward left Maccabi Tel Aviv in June 2024, Keane went on to say: “I want to thank the owners, all the players, the coaches, and the fans for making this season unforgettable.”
CFLP said earlier this week that Celtic supporters have a “long and proud history of solidarity with the Palestinian people” and that the club was founded by a “community shaped by the legacy of genocide, displacement and famine”.
It added: “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 a defenceless people is unconscionable.”
CFLP ended their statement explaining that Celtic’s roots lie in “solidarity with those who suffered injustice and oppression”.
“We cannot forget where we came from, nor turn our backs on those facing genocide today,” it added.
