The Watford FC Academy U9s team are celebrating after smashing the competition and being crowned EFL National champions.
According to U9s-U14s head coach Adam Balletta, playing futsal as part of their football programme has been “really beneficial” for the boys.
On Saturday, March 22, the team, along with coaches Andrew Griffiths and Nathan Masters, headed to Warwick University for the final day of the competition. To get to this point, the boys had secured an impressive unbeaten run in regional qualifiers against several of the 52 other EFL teams.
Adam told watfordnews: “From a staff point of view, we really felt the boys had a chance of winning it, but our role was to make sure they stayed focused and level-headed throughout the day; naturally the boys were very excited. Looking back on the day, they managed their emotions impeccably.
“We had good feedback from EFL representatives who said the boys had managed their emotions well, which is tough for eight to nine year olds! This is something Andy, Nathan and the rest of the staff worked on with the groups.”
After a tough performance and going 1-0 down to begin with, the Watford side triumphed in a 4-2 win against Cardiff City and were crowned EFL Youth Development National Futsal champions.
To top off the celebrations, goalkeeper David, who saved two of the three penalties taken in their nail-biting semi-final against Huddersfield, won goalkeeper of the tournament.
Adam continued: “We’re all really proud of how they have developed and how the coaches have developed this group. It’s been an excellent year for them, playing against some top teams throughout the season and showcasing themselves well.
“I’m just really proud of them and what they have achieved as is everyone at the football club. It’s fantastic for them to be crowned national champions and have this moment in their journey.”
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