In 11 a side football, all the talk is of whether Manchester City can pull off an historic treble and win the Champions League, The FA Cup and the Premier League, but as always at Leisure Leagues, we did it first and one of our teams has already pulled off a stunning hat-trick of their own.

The Muchachitos, a six-a-side football team from Guernsey, has accomplished the incredible feat of winning the Leisure Leagues Monday and Wednesday night leagues – but that’s not all….

Led by their captain Cristovao Santos (pictured, front row middle), the team won the Monday night league, and looked to expand, so they put two teams in the Wednesday league. Not only did they win the top league, but they also triumphed in division one.

“Basically, we had a mission that we wanted to do the treble,” said Cristovao. “We are all super competitive, and our mentality is we don’t pay money to lose,” he added.

The team was introduced to the league by a friend and was comprised of passionate footballers who work in the hospitality industry. “90% of us work in hospitality, so football is the one time we get to hit the pitch and think only about the game and unwind,” said Cristovao, who manages the bars Amigos and Canvas on the Island, and the players were recruited there:  “We just asked, ‘Do you like football? Yeah, love it. You? Fancy making a team and joining a league.’  Bosh!…Muchachitos were born and flourished.”

Despite having a mix of nationalities, including Spanish, Portuguese, Madeiran, Moroccan, English, Guernsey, and Romanian players, the Muchachitos were proud to come together and win as one of the most multicultural teams on the Island. This is reflected in the teams they all support, with the skipper smiling: “We have Liverpool fans, Benfica fans, Arsenal fans, a big mix. Two players from Morocco proudly rep their nation’s shirt before the game.”

They might be winning now, but it wasn’t always plain sailing. “After winning Monday, we set our sights on going for the Wednesday leagues. We had some shocking performances, but we knew we had it in us to get the results,” said Cristovao.

The team’s player age range was from 20 to 40, with a mix of skill levels and experience, but they all loved the games, even if it was tough. “Playing back-to-back games was a lot of fun as the boys didn’t even have time for a sip of water, and the whistle was going for kick-off,” added Cristovao.

The league in Guernsey has been running for a decade, and was the first to resume after lockdown. It has become a real focal point for the two, a fact that Cristovao re-iterated: “For a lot of the guys, it’s the day in the week they look forward to the most,” said Cristovao.

Greg Allen, the Leisure Leagues area Manager, praised the team and added: “This is exactly what our leagues about. The chance to make ordinary people stars. The Muchachitos have shown that a diverse group of passionate individuals can come together to achieve great things. Their success is not just for them, but for everyone involved in the Guernsey League.”

To Join the leagues in Guernsey, click here: https://www.leisureleagues.net/find-a-league/guernsey/?ref_c=BpFDkApVYadO