ROBBIE KEANE LAMENTED his players’ nerves as Maccabi Tel Aviv crashed out of the Conference League in astonishing circumstances last night. 

Maccabi beat Olympiakos 4-1 in Greece in the first leg of their last-16 tie, but collapsed to a 6-1 defeat in the return leg, which was played in Serbia. 

The defeat was confirmed in extra-time, as it finished 4-1 to Olympiakos after 90 minutes. 

It was a chastening end to a pretty successful European run for Maccabi, the furthest they have travelled in their three seasons in the third-tier Conference League. It was the first time they made the last-16 of any Uefa competition. 

Speaking after the game, Keane said his side were inhibited by their nerves.

“We didn’t start the game well, I thought we looked very nervous”, said Keane. “We didn’t get the ball down, we kept giving the ball away at the start, which gave them confidence.

“They got an early goal, we were on the back foot straight away. I think there were a lot of nerves with the players, but it’s expected, in terms of the team we are playing against.

“A loss is a loss. Over there, 4-1 probably wasn’t [an accurate] scoreline, to be fair, but we got the four goals, we had a lot of energy and we were clinical in front of goal.

“We have to take it on the chin, congratulations to them. The most important thing, which I’ve said to the players, is we’ve had a really good run, first time we’ve got to this stage. Maybe that is overshadowed because of the result, but we can’t let that affect us.

“We have a lot more important things ahead of us, which is the league. We have to bounce back quickly and this is where I want to see real characters and real personalities. I won’t shy away from it at all, and it’s my job and my staff’s job now to lift these players. I’m sure they will want to do that themselves.” 

Keane didn’t agree with one questioner who described the result as a collapse. 

“I wouldn’t say collapse, we gifted them a lot of things, in terms of the goals. They are just the basics, the game plan was to show a bit more energy, but also to play. And we didn’t. 

“They are a top, top team. The scoreline probably flattered us in the first game, that was the problem. I knew with the players they have, in [Daniel] Podence, you can never, ever think for one second [the tie is over] against a team like this with the quality they have.

“I knew it was going to be a tough night. I told the players before that it would be a tough night but we would have to dig in, at times put your body on the line. I can’t fault the effort of the players. We got beat by a better team, a more quality team.

“We need to get our heads up quickly, we have important games ahead.

“Yes the magnitude of the result it is worse, it is hard to see it now, but where we have come [from] and what we have done has been very good. But because of the result some people may take that away from us. It is what it is.

“We have to accept it quickly and we have to move on quickly. As soon as we leave here we have to be fully focused on Sunday’s game and the remaining games.” 

Maccabi are top of the Israeli league, five points clear of Maccabi Haifa after 25 games, meaning there is one more game until the league splits, and the top six play each other home and away to determine the champion. 

Maccabi Tel Aviv have won the league more often than any other side, but their last triumph came in 2019/20.