There was a very special visitor to Lanzarote this week, a shining sporting star of last summer, and a sight to lift Spanish hearts. Football’s European Champions Trophy, won by an immaculate Spain team in a thrilling final against Germany, held visitors spell bound in Arrecife, at the headquarters of the Lanzarote football delegation.

Sports fans queued to pose for photos with the trophy, currently on a tour of the Canary Islands. It may only weigh 8 kilos, and stand at just 60 centimetres high, but the trophy is an inspiration to all young football fans. Arrecife was an appropriate setting, as the Lanzarote capital is the home of the island team, UD Lanzarote, who play in the 3rd tier of Spanish football. Home games are normally at 11am on a Sunday morning, and it’s just a 20 minute journey from Costa Teguise. Some of the Lanzarote players used to have a long term stay at Sands Beach Resort Hotel, it is perfect for the sport minded, with its beachfront setting, 6 pools, tennis courts, and full TV coverage of major sporting events.