BUDAPEST, Hungary — The renowned Irish soccer player Robbie Keane has been appointed as the new head coach of Ferencvaros, a club that is eager to secure its sixth consecutive title in the Hungarian league and make strides in the Europa League.

Ferencvaros announced on Monday that Keane will assume his coaching responsibilities during a winter training camp in Spain, starting on Tuesday. He takes over from Pascal Jansen, who previously served as an assistant at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. Jansen departed the Budapest-based club last week, having had a challenging first season.

Keane’s debut in a competitive match is scheduled for January 23 in the Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt. Currently, Ferencvaros is well-positioned to move into the knockout stages, sitting among the top 24 in a league consisting of 36 teams.

As the reigning champions, Ferencvaros will resume its domestic league play in February, where they currently trail behind the league leader, Puskas Akademia, while holding the second-place position.

The 44-year-old Keane comes back to coaching after his stint with Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he won the Israeli league championship in his inaugural season despite facing challenges related to security following attacks by Hamas.

Prior to this, Keane held assistant coaching positions with the Ireland national team, as well as with Middlesbrough and Leeds United. He remains a prominent figure in Irish soccer, holding national records with 146 caps and 68 goals for his country.

Over a career spanning two decades, Keane played for distinguished clubs such as Tottenham, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Leeds, and LA Galaxy, cementing his legacy in the world of soccer.