Arsenal Soccer School - Peace Trophy

The tournament, which brought teams together from Spain, Gibraltar, Israel and Denmark was described by the organisers as a great success not just because of the large number of spectators the event managed to attract, but particularly in light of the excellent performance of the School’s juniors team which won the trophy in emphatic style by winning all of the matches it played.

The main objective of the tournament, which is hoped will become an annual fixture, is to promote peace in the Middle East, hence the participation in the tournament of an Israeli team, Misgav F.C. The team included both Muslim and Jewish players, an indication of the close relationship between both communities and their cultures. 

The tournament was inaugurated by the Mayor of Castellar, Francisco Vaca Garcia, who presented the participating teams with a commemorative plaque. Shalom Liav, coach and manager of the Israeli team, then thanked the sponsors of the event, ISOLAS, Fiduciary and Mr Jaime Ortiz Patino who made it all possible.

The Arsenal Juniors, led by their captain, Thomas Isola, who’s proud father is our very own Peter Isola, played “The Arsenal Way” keeping the ball moving and giving no respite to the opposition. Their coach, Manuel Angel said that “it has been an exciting few days for our boys who played marvellously and behaved impeccably, both on and off the football pitch. It was a joy to watch such quality driving their games, a joy which delighted all those who ventured out to watch. It was clear for all to see just how well these boys have gelled as a team and I’m very proud of what they’ve achieved.”

In addition to the sporting element of the weekend, some of the teams also enjoyed some ‘rest and relaxation’ taking full advantage of the glorious weather to pay a visit to the beach at Tarifa to relax as well as paying a visit to Gibraltar. These activities proved a great opportunity for all the players to spend time together, leaving all cultural differences aside, allowing them to enjoy some time spent in the company of fellow football enthusiasts.

The tournament closed on Sunday with a closing ceremony during which the teams were thanked for their participation and medals were presented to the finalists, Lincoln F.C. from Gibraltar, and Arsenal Soccer Schools Andalucia as overall winners. Arsenal Soccer School Andalucia’s Captain, Thomas Isola, proudly held the winner’s trophy aloft as the players, coaches, spectators and organisers remarked on the success of the event and the friendly atmosphere achieved, a success which, no doubt, will be repeated next year.  Fiduciary congratulates the Arsenal Soccer Schools Andalucia team on its success!