Taoiseach says Robbie Keane coaching Israeli football team ‘a matter for him’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has refrained from weighing in on Ireland’s record goalscorer Robbie Keane’s job with an Israeli football team, saying it is “a matter for him”.

The former Ireland international has been the head coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv FC since June this year.

In October, Israel launched a military operation and bombardment against Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas militants that saw 1,200 people killed and more than 200 others taken hostage.

The war has devastated large parts of the densely populated enclave, killing more than 20,400 Palestinians and displacing almost all of the territory’s 2.3 million people.

The Irish Government has been vocal in calling for a ceasefire and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said ahead of the Christmas break that Ireland believed Israel had “exceeded” the proportionality limit in its response to the Hamas attack on October 7th.

Asked during an end-of-year interview about Keane’s position in coaching the Israeli side, Mr Varadkar did not weigh in on his position.

“I think primarily that’s a matter for him,” he said. “He was offered a job and he’s taken it up in Tel Aviv.

“I suppose… There are a lot of very good people in Israel who want there to be peace, who want justice for Palestinians, who want there to be a two-state solution.

“That used to be the majority, they are now the minority.

“I think they can be the majority again and I’m not convinced that demonising and ostracising an entire country, and entire nation of people, is actually the best way to achieve what we are trying to achieve.”

Asked if he should consider his coaching position, Mr Varadkar said: “I think it’s up to him, I’m not calling on him to consider his position at all.”