Damien Duff against Robbie Keane is the Champions League game we want to see

Irish Daily Mirror

26-05-2025

Robbie Keane and Damien Duff squaring off against each other in Europe is Irish football's blockbuster tie of choice this summer.
If Duff's Shelbourne can win their Champions League first qualifying round, they know Keane's Ferencvaros are one of their potential opponents on the other side of the second round draw.
And the Hungarian giants have been recent visitors to Irish shores, facing Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League in 2022 and again in the Conference League in 2023.
Were that scenario to play out when the European draw is made on June 18, it would reunite the two Irish legends - and pals - in the most remarkable of managerial duels.
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As players, they made their senior Ireland debuts together in 1998, away to the Czech Republic in Olomouc, and went on to win 246 caps between them.
But as managers, there couldn't be a more stark contrast with Duff content and rooted in the League of Ireland and Keane proving open to far flung approaches.
Over the weekend, the former striker won his second league title in as many seasons as Ferencvaros clinched the Hungarian title on the final day of the season.
It followed on from last season's success when he steered Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Israeli Premier League crown, before moving to Ferencvaros in January this year.
After returning from their title-clinching 2-1 win away to fourth-placed Gyor, Keane and his players partied at a homecoming at Ferencvaros' stadium in Budapest.
Celebrations went on long into the night and while the trophy was being passed around on stage, it clipped Keane on the forehead when he was front and centre.
He can be seen in video footage putting his hand to his head and seeking some assistance after noticing blood on his hand.
In the end, Keane required three stitches and it became such a talking point that he took to Instagram and said: 'Everyone keeps asking me what happened.
'I was lifting the trophy last night and the back of it hit my head so I had to get three stitches from the doctor. But who cares when you win!'
Keane had no choice but to win the league - it was non-negotiable from his bosses, back when he made the surprise move to Hungary's biggest club in January.
After ending his seven month hiatus from management - following his controversial spell in Israel - Ferencvaros were second in the table when Keane took over.
They were a point off Puskás Akadémia and also had a game in hand, but at no point did Ferencvaros rip it up and pull clear, as their three-point winning margin suggests.
Keane, who saw Ferencvaros lose the cup final on penalties two weeks ago, said: "It's not easy when a new coach comes in.
'It's been a pretty tough five months, but everything is good when the end is good.'
And in a nod to Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, Keane also told the 'Fradi' fans at the homecoming: 'I don't win in my second season, I win in my first season!.'
It was Ferencvaros' 10th title in 13 seasons, their seventh in-a-row and you suspect the difference between Keane keeping his job and losing it.
But while the celebrations went deep into the weekend, Keane's managerial stock won't be weighted solely on securing a trophy that his club were expected to win.
Rather, the respect will come from a successful Champions League run where his employers will no doubt have aspirations of reaching the group stages.
The respective budgets of Shelbourne and Ferencvaros are worlds apart, with Keane's club spending a reported €23 million on player wages alone in 2023.
But Duff and Keane in a direct European headlock this summer would be priceless.