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E-mail Xinhua, June 11, 2024
Irish legend Robbie Keane left Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv after one season, Maccabi and the head coach announced in a joint statement on Friday.
Keane decided to leave despite leading the club to the Israeli Premier League championship title, ending the dominance of Maccabi Haifa, who had won the title in the three previous seasons.
During his tenure, Keane and Tel Aviv also won the Israeli league cup, beating Haifa in a penalty shootout in the final match.
With the 43-year-old coach, Maccabi also reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they stunned Olympiacos Piraeus 4-1 in Greece.
However, Maccabi suffered a 6-1 defeat in the second-leg match in Serbia and was eliminated, while the Greek side continued all the way to the European title.
"It has been a tough decision for me to leave Maccabi Tel Aviv," Keane expressed in the statement. "I am very proud of everything we have achieved together as a team and, of course, most proud of the hard work and dedication."
As a player, the former striker starred at Tottenham, Wolves, Liverpool, and other clubs. He also scored 68 goals in 146 appearances in the Irish national team, where he served as captain.
He began his coaching career in 2018 but only started serving as head coach in June 2023 when he signed with Maccabi.
