Steve Coogan and Éanna Hardwicke to star as Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in upcoming film Saipan

Steve Coogan has been cast as Mick McCarthy and Éanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane in an upcoming film depicting the pair’s infamous falling out at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

First reported by Variety, Saipan is set to begin production this summer.

The movie will be directed by award winning filmmakers Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, with an original script written by Paul Fraser. Bankside Films will handle Worldwide sales, while Wildcard and Vertigo Releasing have acquired the for & Ireland rights.

Éanna Hardwicke

As the title suggests, the feature is based off the spat between Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane and then-manager Mick McCarthy ahead of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. The Manchester United midfielder was reportedly outraged by the conditions and organisation surrounding the squad’s preparation on the small Pacific island of Saipan, leading to a very public disagreement with McCarthy.

An interview Keane gave to the Irish press supposedly created uproar within the camp, where the Cork native is said to have told McCarthy to “stick your World Cup up your arse” in front of the team, before flying back to Ireland, with McCarthy later stating that he had in fact sent the player home.

The incident has been hugely controversial in Irish society ever since, sparking a hitherto unresolved debate over who was to blame for the incident. The Republic of Ireland were eventually knocked out in the round of 16 stage at the tournament, losing on penalties to Spain.

Keane wouldn’t represent his country again until 2004, after McCarthy stepped down as manager.