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Celtic are searching for a permanent manager after securing a fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership title in 2025-26, with interim boss Martin O’Neill also guiding the club to Scottish Cup success.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Keane is among the leading candidates for the role after leaving Ferencvaros. The 45-year-old has won league titles in Hungary and Israel.
He remains a popular figure among many supporters following his loan spell at Celtic in 2010, when he scored 16 goals in 19 appearances.
However, Keane’s potential appointment has sparked opposition from sections of the fanbase due to his previous spell as manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Dozens of Celtic supporters’ groups have backed a statement opposing his candidacy, with the North Curve Celtic account on X publishing a list of 67 groups said to have endorsed it.
The list includes the Green Brigade, Bhoys Celtic ultras, Glasgow University Celtic Supporters Club and Craigneuk Tommy Gemmell CSC, along with several fan podcasts.
Despite the backlash, Keane remains in contention for the position amid reports he is in talks with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond.
Keane narrowly missed out on retaining the Hungarian league title last season but did lead Ferencvaros to Magyar Kupa success before departing the club.
The statement 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 defenceless 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 cannot forget where we came from, nor turn our backs on those facing genocide today.
“At a time when Celtic requires unity and collective purpose, this appointment would be deeply divisive among the support.
“It would also represent a predictable and uninspiring choice at a moment when greater ambition is needed. We urge the Celtic board to listen to supporters’ concerns and reconsider this appointment.”
Keane was appointed Maccabi Tel Aviv manager in June 2023, several months before the Hamas-led attacks of October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza. He guided the club to a league and cup double before stepping down in the summer of 2024.
Speaking after his departure, Keane said he chose to remain in the role for the duration of the season partly because of his responsibility to the staff members who had moved to Israel with him.
“I have a duty of care,” he said. “My analyst, for example, was at Middlesbrough for 12 years. For him to come with me to Israel and then for me to just walk away, leaving him and his family….
“So I made the decision to stay until the end of the season and to walk away from a big contract – another year, possibly two more years. We made that decision as a group, as staff.”
The Celtic board has wasted little time in sowing division. From initiating bans to considering a hugely divisive figure as manager.
Until there is meaningful change in personnel and culture within the Celtic hierarchy then there will be no sustained unity across the club. pic.twitter.com/0LNJRunJXT
— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) June 4, 2026