After years in the shadow of the 11–a-side national game, futsal is stepping out and the future is bright, says Jonny Cainer who has recently been appointed into the new role as Head of Futsal for Maccabi GB.

Darryl Lee, Maccabi GB’s Chairman of Football for the European Maccabi Games, said, “In terms of futsal, Jonny is one of our most experienced and knowledgeable players, a veteran of four Maccabiot both as a player and a coach, we have tasked him to lay down the foundations that will allow futsal to stand on its own two feet.”

Team England will send three teams — Junior, Open and Masters — to the next year’s European Maccabi Games being held in Vienna.

Cainer’s first job is to appoint managers and coaches. He said: “In the past those of us involved in futsal have all moaned about it being in the shadow of 11-a-side and now at last we have the opportunity to run independently.

“My self-imposed remit is to build the foundations of a great sport which is still in its infancy but is seeing continued growth and interest throughout the footballing world.”