Jonny Rose will lead the Maccabi GB Open Football squad to Berlin where they will be looking to defend their title at the European Maccabi Games in 2015.
GB won the 2011 EMG final in style in Vienna in 2011, beating Germany in the final.
Rose has been in charge of Maccabi Manchester since 2011. He has attended two previous Maccabiot – in 2005 and 2009. He memorably took Manchester Maccabi 3rd team, who were fresh out of the Manchester U16 League, and won the Manchester Jewish Soccer League (MJSL) with what was considered to be a youth side. It was the youngest team to have won the MJSL in recent memory and the first Manchester Maccabi team to win the MJSL for 20 years.
"I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to manage the Team Maccabi GB Open Football Team," said Rose. "Having been to two Maccabiah Games were great experiences, but to manage a side at the European Maccabi Games in Berlin will be something special. It is a challenge I am relishing and cannot wait to get started.
"There is a crop of talented, Jewish footballers across the UK and I am proud to be able to bring them together to represent British Jewry on an international stage."
Rose will be assisted by Norstar London Raiders A manager Phil Peters, with Adam Fegan, who is currently coaching at Wingate & Finchley under-18’s, appointed as assistant-coach. A senior coach will be appointed at a later date.
Both Peters and Fegan have international experience, with the former overseeing Team Maccabi GB’s EMFT sides in 2010 - where they won the trophy - and in 2012. Fegan recently won a gold medal as coach to Team Maccabi GB’s Junior U16 Boys Football team at the 19th Maccabiah Games.
At the same time as announcing the appointments, it has been decided that a minimum of 12 of the squad of 18 will have to be under the age of 23 in the year of the Games. The intention is to bring through a younger group of players to experience senior international football with a view of some hopefully making the transition to the Maccabiah Games Open Football squad in 2017.
Talking about the appointment of his managerial team, Darryl Lee, Team Maccabi GB’s Head of Senior Football for the European Maccabi Games, said: "The process has been a long and thorough one. Our preferred aim from the outset was to appoint a completely new Team Maccabi GB Open Football manager and this has been achieved.
"As far as coaching, Adam has coached juniors and ladies football with success and deserves his chance at Men’s level. We will hope to appoint a Senior Coach, currently working in football, to work with the squad and to work with Adam throughout the process."
When discussing the announcement of the criteria for U23 players within the squad, Lee said: "The age restriction was also carefully considered and the appointments were made with this particular limitation in mind. We feel it is time to bring new people through at all levels.
"The trial process will start early in 2014, with the squad to be selected by summer 2014 giving the players and management a whole year to work together to experience what should be a complete Maccabiah experience. The footballing competition is only part of what should be a memorable 12 months for the players and it is an exciting time for everyone involved."
Applications for players for all Maccabi GB Football teams can be found by visiting www.maccabigb.org/emg.