Robbie Keane and Rory Delap flee Israel after hiding amid Hamas attacks

08 October 2023 , 11:25

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Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Robbie Keane was forced to flee following Hamas' attack in Israel (Image: Robin Jones/AFC Bournemouth)

Premier League icon and current Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Robbie Keane was forced to hide in a panic room following Hamas' attack on Israel.

Keane, 43, took on the top job at Maccabi earlier the summer and swiftly installed his former Republic of Ireland teammate Rory Delap as his assistant. But the pair were caught in the middle of the attacks on Israel over the weekend and forced to take evasive action.

According to talkSPORT, Keane and Delap took refuge in a panic room while the attacks took place. The report goes on to outline that the duo managed to flee to Greece after spending some time locked away.

At the time of writing, it is understood that more than 300 people have been killed and over 2,000 injured following the attacks by Hamas: a Palestinian Islamist militant group.

On the pitch, Keane and Delap have made a positive impact at Maccabi. They are currently top of the Israeli Premier League after winning four of their opening five league games.

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Keane, who plundered over 400 career league goals for the likes of Tottenham, Leeds and Liverpool, was part of Sam Allardyce's backroom staff at Elland Road during the final weeks of the 2022/23 campaign. He branched out on his own, though, after Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.

Speaking back in June, he expressed his excitement at taking on the job at Maccabi. Keane said: "I am happy to take on this challenge at Maccabi. My team and I are already looking forward to starting work and we are confident in our ability to do what is necessary to prepare."

Keane and his assistant manager, Rory Delap, joined Maccabi in the summer (AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

He refused to be drawn on the politics of the region after putting pen-to-paper on a two-year contract. Keane added: "I don't want to get into politics. This is the last time I will say it, I certainly don't want to get into politics.

"I'm here as a football man and someone that loves the game, so I will certainly just focus on that but thanks for your question."

All matches in the Israeli Premier League are currently postponed indefinitely in light of the attacks. Maccabi are also competing in this year's Europa Conference League. They are situated in Group B alongside Breidablik, Gent and Zorya Luhansk.

Dan Marsh