Big football names join Maccabiah staff

Socceroos experience, A-League pedigree, UEFA A-Licence CVs …

Maccabi Australia has announced its first batch of football coaching appointments for Team Australia at the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel, and the list is impressive.

Footballers who earn selection to the 2013 Games will enjoy tutelage from an exceptionally high calibre of coaches.

“I believe this is the highest calibre of coaches we’ve ever taken away,” Head of Delegation Harry Procel said.

“We hope to take seven football teams across the seven divisions.

“We believe that with such a high level of coaching we will attract the highest possible level of athletes.”

The flagship opens side will be helmed by Hakoah Maccabi’s State League 2 coaches in Sydney, Mark Robertson (head coach) and Hayden Foxe (assistant coach).

Both Robertson and Foxe represented Australia at every level, including Socceroos, while enjoying professional careers abroad and in Australia, with both players finishing their playing days with Sydney FC in the A-League.

Opens footballers will have the privilege of working under Robertson, who played in England, Scotland and Hungary and Foxe, who brings playing experience from West Ham United, Portsmouth FC, Leeds United.

“After working with Hakoah Maccabi in Sydney, they are both really looking forward to the challenge of bringing in the best players from Victoria and Western Australia to make a really strong side capable of winning a medal.”

The familiar face of Western Australia’s Mark Abro, pictured with Maccabi Australia in Brazil at the Pan America Games in December, will look to build on the strides made in female football when he helms the womens football side. Abro, who boasts a UEFA A-Licence and experience at AJAX Amsterdam, has now become a full-time Maccabi employee and coach in Perth this year.

Junior football boys will learn plenty from Brad Maloney, another Socceroos representative who enjoyed a distinguished career in the National Soccer League.

“Brad has been a coach at Maccabi for a couple of years now and took a junior squad to Singapore last off-season, where they earned a 1-1 draw with Singapore’s junior national side,” Harry added.

“I know that section manager Phil Filler is confident the squad can win Australia’s first gold medal in a football event at the Maccabiah Games.”

Our masters football sides won’t miss out either. Ron Lilling, who was the first coach to steer an Australian opens side to the quarter-finals of a Maccabiah Games, will take the over-35s.

And there is exciting news for our over-45s. Former Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg is pencilled in to take the side, pending his availability in July this year.

“Ron has had quite a distinguished career as a coach and player at the Maccabiah Games,” Harry said.

“And Miron, who is Israeli born, has been involved in Maccabi Carnivals in Melbourne in years gone past and is genuinely looking forward to re-involving himself in the Jewish football community.”

Junior girls and youth football are yet to be appointed.

Procel promises that the next batch of coaching announcements, across a range of other sports, will maintain the high standard and will continue to build a buzz amongst the Maccabi sporting community.

“This is the first release of coaching announcements.

“In weeks to come, we’ll have many more exceptionally high profile candidates that we’ve been able to secure for our athletes.

“Our athletes will be playing under the highest calibre of coaches and it’ll be a privilege to be part of their teams.

“Sport for any athlete, at any level, is about competition. You want to do personal bests.

“What will help you achieve that? The best players and the best coaches, and we want to send the best of both.”