Roy Keane controversy movie released in cinemas

Roy Keane joined Manchester United from Nottingham Forest in 1993 for a then-British record £3.75 million and went on to define one of the club’s most dominant eras.

Across all competitions, Keane made 480 appearances for United, scoring 51 goals, and captained the side through its most successful period under Sir Alex Ferguson.

His honours haul at Old Trafford included seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League (1999), and the Intercontinental Cup, cementing his status as one of United’s greatest-ever midfielders.

Renowned for his intensity, leadership, and uncompromising standards, Keane was the heartbeat of the treble-winning side and a central figure in United’s domestic dominance of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

After retiring from playing in 2006, he moved into management with Sunderland, famously guiding them to the Premier League title in the 2006–07 season, before later spells at Ipswich Town and in international coaching with the Republic of Ireland.

In recent years, Keane has become a prominent media voice, working as a pundit for Sky Sports, where his forthright analysis and blunt assessments have made him a headline-grabbing figure.

That legacy—forged in silverware, authority, and relentless standards—is against which Saipan revisits one of the most explosive chapters of his career.

Saipan arrives in Irish cinemas this week, revisiting one of the most divisive and emotionally charged moments in Irish sporting history: the explosive fallout between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy on the eve of the 2002 World Cup.

Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, the film is a dramatic reimagining rather than a documentary, focusing squarely on the personal and ideological clash that ultimately saw Keane leave the Irish camp in Korea.

From the outset, the film frames the tension between captain and manager as inevitable, rooted in fundamentally different outlooks on preparation, ambition and what the tournament represented.

As Coogan told RTÉ News, “You can look at it and think this was avoidable and how it could have been different,” before adding that the film centres on the “blood, sweat, and fiery exchanges” that defined their relationship.

The film also reflects on the aftermath, reminding viewers that Ireland progressed to the last 16 without Keane, eventually losing on penalties to Spain, even as the debate at home raged on.

Moments of humour are woven throughout, but the filmmakers are clear that the story is about sincerity, miscommunication, and identity.

As Coogan put it, the heart of Saipan lies in “how communication can break down irrevocably,” calling it “almost like the perfect storm of miscommunication.”

With iconic exchanges such as “You’re unmanageable!” and “And you can’t manage!” anchoring the drama, the film presents both sides and invites audiences to make up their own minds.

When the credits roll, the old arguments are unlikely to stay buried.