Ferencvaros have revealed the behind-the-scenes discussions that led to Robbie Keane’s departure from the Hungarian club last month.
The Irish coach is now competing with Martin O’Neill to become the next manager of Scottish champions Celtic.
Keane walked out on Ferencvaros after the club lost their league title to ETO Gyor, prompting the Budapest outfit to act swiftly in replacing him.
The club moved quickly to appoint title-winning boss Balazs Borbely as his successor following the acrimonious split.
A central grievance for Keane during his final season in Budapest was a local league rule requiring every club to field at least five Hungarian players at all times.
Ferencvaros sports director Tamas Hajnal has now spoken openly about the tense review meetings that ultimately led to Keane’s exit from the club.
Hajnal said: “We sat down to review the season and of course the future was also discussed. At the end of the discussion, we already felt that the situation was completely open-ended – he had repeatedly expressed during the season that he did not agree with a certain set of rules and that he felt that this made his work more difficult.”
The sports director revealed that Keane requested time to consider his future before making a final decision just two days after their talks concluded.
Hajnal continued: “When we got up from the table, he asked for time to think and then two days later he called me and said that he felt that, in terms of his career, it was not worth it for him to stay here under these circumstances.”
The Ferencvaros official acknowledged that winning the league title might have altered the emotional climate, though he doubted it would have resolved the deeper issues at play.
Hajnal added: “It is difficult to know for sure whether he would have stayed if we had won the league. Of course, the gold medal always creates a different emotional state, but it would not have solved the issues we talked about.”
He also reflected on the season’s painful conclusion, noting that ETO’s points tally was historically unusual rather than a reflection of poor Ferencvaros performance.
Hajnal stated: “We analysed the league and you could say we were unlucky because ETO scored an unprecedented amount of points.”
Looking ahead, Hajnal expressed confidence in Borbely’s ability to bring fresh energy and a new tactical approach to the club’s ambitions next season.
He concluded: “We especially need to examine our performance in home matches. We need to improve our intensity, dominance, the way we play and our quality. And we trust that Balazs Borbely will bring a new approach so we can achieve our goals next season.”
Keane’s potential move to Celtic has triggered a strong reaction among sections of the club’s fanbase, with some supporters opposing his appointment because of his previous spell in Israel.
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