Maccabi Tel Aviv have a new manager, and it comes in the form of Irish legend Robbie Keane.
Keane is replacing Spaniard Aitor Karanka, who has managed the team for the past five months.
Karanka's term was disappointing, as he failed to lead Maccabi to any title wins, finishing in third place in the league, and getting knocked out in the semi-finals of the cup.
So they have replaced him with a high profile, yet somewhat inexperienced manager.
📹 התחלה חדשה בצהוב: צפו ביום הראשון של רובי קין במכבי
— Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (@MaccabiTLVFC) June 28, 2023
A fresh start in Yellow and Blue: watch Robbie Keane's first day at Maccabi pic.twitter.com/4fNHLVBcqs
It's not the first time they’ve done this.
Since the 2012-13 season, Maccabi Tel Aviv continuously appoint foreign managers, which is often criticised by Israeli pundits, for their decision to ignore local managers.
The first was Oscar García, whose appointment came after a short period as a manager in Barcelona’s youth system.
He led Maccabi Tel Aviv to win the championship after a 10-year drought, and was the first of three consecutive championships the club had won with three different managers.
The next two were with Paulo Sousa and Pako Ayestaran.
But one of the biggest doubts in Israeli media is about the club’s recent failures.
In the last eight years, Maccabi Tel Aviv have won the championship only twice.
It has raised the question of whether any of their most recent managers were good enough, and whether Robbie Keane is good enough to be more successful.
And of course one of the repeating doubts is about his experience.
Keane has had a few spells as an assistant manager at Middlesbrough, Leeds United, and the Republic of Ireland national team.
His only spell as a manager lasted for just three games, with Atletico de Kolkata from the Indian Super League.
Some will compare these doubts to the same reactions when Maccabi Tel Aviv appointed Pako Ayestaran in 2014.
Ayestaran had similarly only had a few spells as assistant manager, and was mockingly called by the local media as the “gym teacher."
He eventually finished the season with a domestic treble - winning the championship, the cup and the league cup - becoming the first and only manager to do so in Israel.
Hi Robbie 😏 pic.twitter.com/tIJbx8YUaP
— Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (@MaccabiTLVFC) June 26, 2023
So why would Robbie Keane choose to take this role?
Most of the club's former managers used their short time in Israel to improve their careers.
Oscar Garcia moved from Maccabi Tel Aviv to Brighton, and later had decent spells in La Liga and Ligue 1.
Pako Ayestaran went on to manage Valencia and Las Palmas.
Paulo Sousa already had success with Videoton before joining Maccabi Tel Aviv, but after his time in Israel, he moved on to Basel and Fiorentina.
Slavisa Jokanovic managed them for only a few months, but his Champions League campaign made Fulham offer him their manager’s job.
Peter Bosz similarly managed Maccabi for a short time, and his next job was at Ajax.
This could possibly be a calmer experience for Keane, managing in Israel rather than in the top two tiers of English football.
Maccabi Tel Aviv are always considered one of the favourites to win the title in Israel, and he will have a chance to lead a team that are likely to be dominant already.
He will also have an opportunity to make a run in Europe, in the Europa Conference League - Maccabi Tel Aviv are three rounds away from reaching the group stage.
In 2022, they made it to the knockout stage, and last year they missed out on the group stage after a loss in the play-off round against a strong opponent in Nice.
We have already seen how the Europa Conference League has changed the career path of players and managers alike - like Bodo/Glimt had after reaching the quarter-finals in 2022.
But Robbie Keane’s adventure in Israel won’t be easy.
He will be taking charge of a team that will be trying to regain the title after three years absence, and a squad that includes some of the most exciting names in Israeli football, including Eran Zahavi.
If Robbie Keane manages to make Maccabi Tel Aviv’s season unforgettable, it will be an important kick-off for his career as a manager.
Edited by Alex Smith
