The reputation of Kent based Soccer Elite FA was strengthened further when they took seventeen teams out to Barcelona recently.

Based in Maidstone, the football academy took over 170 players in a travelling party of almost 400 for the three day tournement over the Easter weekend.

Despite not picking up any silverware in the tournament that saw teams from places like Japan and Canada compete, Soccer Elite will feel that they did themselves justice with sixteen of the seventeen teams having won at least one of their games.

In fact, the Under 8’s, Under 12’s and Under 13’s were to lose their group qualifying games to the eventual winners of the age group.

With exceptional camaraderie across whole touring squad, the likes of former Charlton Athletic defender Richard Rufus and former Welling United midfielder Connor Heffernan (who now plays in Spain) were part of the coaching set up.

With so many family members having made the journey to Barcelona, Soccer Elite FA won the best supported Academy award and numerous other accolades for their playing approach with each team captain and SEFA coach presented with a cut glass trophy for taking part.

The trip also saw the whole party making a brief journey to see the Nou Camp, the home of European giants Barcelona.

With new contacts having been made and networks created for Soccer Elite FA, the invitation is already in for the 2014 tournament.