Steve Coogan and The Sixth Commandment star bring infamous football clash to life in Roy Keane film drama

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The initial trailer is now out for the forthcoming football movie titled Saipan, featuring Steve Coogan portraying the character of ex-manager Mick McCarthy from the Republic of Ireland.

The movie portrays the well-known confrontation between McCarthy and Ireland’s national soccer team captain Roy Keane before the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. The role of the esteemed former Manchester United midfielder is played by Éanna Hardwicke, who stars as “The Sixth Commandment.

14 days prior to the World Cup, the teaser starts by featuring several whispers of speculation from various media outlets about an imminent significant disagreement.

It appears that someone has remarked, “It seems everyone overlooks the fact that the team isn’t just about one individual.

Additionally, we catch our first look at Hardwicke portraying Keane, as he appears alone, seated on a wicker chair, while Coogan delivers an impressive rendition of McCarthy’s Yorkshire dialect in a voice-over discussion about the ongoing feud.

In his words, “His exceptional skills on the field make him a standout player, but they can be quite challenging elsewhere.” This is followed by a mix of voices from the crowd echoing various comments about the individual’s off-field behavior.

The trailer concludes with the two characters facing off intensely – you can find the complete video here: [link]

I remember last summer, I learned about the upcoming movie, and it was exciting to find out that Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, known for their work on “Ordinary Love,” were going to be at the helm. Even more intriguing was the news that Paul Fraser, who has worked on “Heartlands,” would be penning the original script.

This gripping tale follows the journey of footballer Roy Keane and his coach Mick McCarthy as they navigate the tumultuous build-up to Ireland’s explosive 2002 World Cup campaign.

The fierce competition between these two individuals went beyond the boundaries of the game itself, captivating not just a single nation, but the entire sports community.

Beneath the apparent disagreement over rules, this conflict was actually a deeply passionate tale of two individuals whose competition and disdain grew beyond their shared passion for sports.

“This is the definitive account of one of the most fractious fallings-out in the history of sport.”

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Keane was asked to leave the Ireland team’s training camp in Japan by McCarthy just before the tournament started, due to his worries about various aspects of the camp setup and McCarthy’s leadership skills that he had expressed earlier.

I found myself under intense media and fan scrutiny following the incident, with their views starkly divided. Yet, the upcoming movie seems set to explore in-depth perspectives from both sides of the disagreement I was involved in.

In addition to Hardwicke and Coogan, the cast features Alice Lowe known for her role in Sightseers, Jamie Beamish from Derry Girls, Alex Murphy hailing from The Young Offenders, Harriet Cains who graced Bridgerton, and Peter McDonald recognized for his work in The Batman.

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2025-06-23 13:34