Uncatchable And Celebrating – With Two Games To Play

Mike Stowell – this time alongside Robbie Keane – has become a title winner for the second time.

Their club, Maccabi Tel Aviv, secured Israel’s premier division crown last night with their 3-0 home victory over Hapoel Beersheva.

The three points left them eight clear of their long-time closest challengers Maccabi Haifa, who were last season’s champions.

With two matches remaining, Champions League football is now assured – a major step forward for the country’s biggest club after they finished ten points adrift in third place in 2022-23 under Aitor Karanka.

For Stowell, it is another wonderful entry on the CV eight years on from Leicester’s extraordinary Premier League triumph under Claudio Ranieri.

With the Italian departed and Brendan Rodgers by then at the helm, the former Wolves keeper was also part of the backroom team when the East Midlanders won the FA Cup in 2021 for the first time in their history.

Maccabi’s season of success has also contained a further throwback to his time at the King Power Stadium. On top of their league success and winning the domestic Toto Cup, they progressed to the last 16 of the Europa Conference League before losing to finalists Olympiakos.

With him on board, Leicester reached the last eight of the Champions League in 2016-17 and the semi-final of the Conference League two seasons ago. Maccabi have played no fewer than 14 games in Europe this season and had the handicap of playing their home games in Poland and Serbia after the war broke out in October.

Events on the pitch in Israel’s capital were followed with high interest in the Stowell family household in the West Country last night while Keane’s post-match press conference offered another insight into the difficulties the coaching staff have had while separated from their loved ones.

“My two boys love football and they were watching on what was a special day,” he said. “I can’t wait to see them. But, as a player, I left home at 15. It’s not easy but that’s one of the sacrifices you have to make. The staff here have been brilliant and just having them around has made it a bit easier.”

Stowell was one of the senior players in the Wolves dressing room on the day Keane made an extraordinary two-goal debut in a victory at Norwich on the opening day of 1997-98.

The two then linked up last summer in the Middle East following the goalkeeper coach’s departure from Leicester. And the head coach has opened up a little on how he was first offered the job there.

“I was sitting on a bus in a suit and dicky bow going to a wedding when (club owner) Mitch (Goldhar) Facetimed me. I felt a connection with them.

“I wanted to come somewhere where we could play European football. I enjoyed that as a player.”

So how does it feel to be a championship winner and will the backroom team go back next season to oversee the defence of the title and take on the Champions League?

“It’s like ten years of learning experience what I have had to deal with,” Keane added. “It will stand me in good stead. I’m glad now it’s over the line. We’re proud of the players…we give them information, they have to deliver and they did. 

“We have two games left. I have been consistent all season (on not talking about the future) and we’re not going to change.”

Keane’s media conference from after last night’s game can be seen at Keane: “I am delighted and super proud of the players” – Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club (maccabi-tlv.co.il)

Maccabi’s backroom team also includes Rory Delap, who, like Keane and Stowell, is due back in these shores in the next two weeks.