Keane appointed head coach of Ferencvaros after talks with Championship duo
Robbie Keane spoke to several clubs about a managerial return before he was named the new head coach of Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, Football365 understands.
Former Republic of Ireland skipper Keane took over at Ferencvaros on Monday, as the 44-year-old resumed his coaching career following his exit from Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv boss in June.
A statement on the club’s official website said: “We announce the successor to Dutchman Pascal Jansen to lead our 35-time champion and 24-time cup winner team, as the 146-time national team player of the Republic of Ireland Robbie Keane has signed on Monday.
“The new head coach arrived in Budapest on Sunday evening and will leave on Tuesday to join our team at the training camp in Spain.”
The vacancy at Ferencvaros was created by Jansen’s move to take over at New York City FC, with the American Major League Soccer side one of the clubs that contacted Keane in recent weeks as they considered him for their vacancy.
Keane held talks about taking over at Cardiff City, but he was keen to take his staff with him and that element of the deal could not be agreed with the Welsh Championship club.
He was also on a shortlist of candidates for the vacancy at his former club Coventry City before they appointed Frank Lampard as their new head coach.
Keane was a contender to take over at Belgian club Union SG and held talks with A Scottish Premiership club, while Greek club Asteras Tripolis and Turkish outfit Fahih Karagumruk also approached Keane over a coaching return.
He was waiting to seal what he felt was the right challenge and Ferencvaros ticked all the boxes, with the opportunity to coach in the Europa League one of the big lures for Keane as he weighed up his options over the Ferencvaros job.
The Hungarian side have won three of their first six matches in the competition this season and they are well placed to seal a play-off berth ahead of their final group stages matches against Eintracht Frankfurt and AZ Alkmaar.
“The most important thing for me in a football club is the people, that’s the key. Alex Ferguson told me in the summer, don’t pick the club, pick the people, and that’s important,” said Keane following his appointment.
“I am looking forward to meeting the players and staff in Spain, that’s where the real work starts. This team, yes we know we are a good team, but what does a good team mean? Can you go out and excite the fans, can you play exciting, energetic football, in the way I like to play?
“And I think supporters will enjoy the way my team plays, whether it’s one game or in Europe, we have to do it in every game. That will be the message from me to the players.
“Regardless of which team we play, I want to send the fans home happy, that they have come to watch a really good football team.
“I want to give the fans what they want, exciting football. Hopefully we can get many more fans in and fill the stadium, Hungary is a huge footballing country, with two million people in the city, one of the biggest clubs in the country, to get people here we have to give them good football and that is my aim.
“I don’t have any targets, my target is always the next game. I know in my head what I want to achieve, everyone wants to win. Once I get to see the players and see their mentality as I know my mentality, if we are on the page, that we push and strive to be better every day.”
Keane will be looking to win a league title in his second permanent managerial posting, after successfully guiding Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli title last May.
Ferencvaros currently sit in second place in the Hungarian league, one point behind leaders Puskas Akademia.