The European League of Football kicks off its 2022 season on Saturday, with twelve teams from five nations joining the eight founding members from last year and four new franchises. Patrick Esume, who has sporting responsibility as commissioner, announces a "very tight race" for fans with an eye on the Championship Game on September 25th at the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria - and he is delighted that big football names are coming to the continental league to share their expertise.
"To make it very clear once again, we are still at the very beginning of our journey. But of course, it makes us very proud that the European League of Football is also being noticed in the USA and that some experienced people are coming to our league and helping to give this great sport the professional stage it deserves in Europe as well," says Commissioner Esume.
In the inaugural season, Kasim Edebali and Anthony Dablé-Wolf were the "pioneers" in the European League of Football. The defensive end returned to his hometown last summer to play for the Hamburg Sea Devils after stints with the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals. There he will now play with wide receiver Lamar Jordan, once on the Atlanta Falcons roster. The Leipzig Kings are counting on Anthony Dablé-Wolf, who signed with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons.
"These are guys who give their all for their teams and enjoy passing on their experience from the States and other career stops to others. This benefits younger players in particular who have great talent and want to take the next steps. Marcel Dabo, previously of Stuttgart Surge, and Adedayo Odeleye, previously of Berlin Thunder, have set an example and used the European League of Football as a steppingstone to the NFL," says Esume.
Five of the twelve franchises will be relying on head coaches with U.S. expertise in the 2022 season: first and foremost, Rhein Fire, who set a major coup by signing Jim Tomsula. The 54-year-old was the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and also worked as defensive line coach for the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. Tomsula will meet some old acquaintances on the sidelines: His colleagues Andrew Weidinger (Barcelona Dragons), Charles Jones (Hamburg Sea Devils), Fred Armstrong (Leipzig Kings) and Jeff Jagodzinski (Panthers Wroclaw) also left their mark in the National Football League.
"We feel it is a huge honor to have coaches working in our league who have held important positions in major leagues during their careers. Being on the pitch and working with them will help every player progress. In addition, it is also a privilege for us in the league to hear their opinion about the European League of Football and to develop the product further," emphasizes Commissioner Esume.
Two franchises were also able to announce prominent additions to the organization: Jakob Johnson, who will play for the Las Vegas Raiders next NFL season, joined Stuttgart Surge as a shareholder. "There has never been a lack of talent, but a lack of visibility. The European League of Football is a huge opportunity for players in Europe. It's the next step we've been waiting for for so long. Football doesn't get much better than this," says Johnson.
Berlin Thunder relies on the expertise of Björn Werner, who played for the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL and is a shareholder and sports director in the capital of Germany. "2022 will be great fun, I'm convinced of that. I will do everything in my power to make sure we win a lot of games," Werner said.
The second season of the European League of Football starts on Saturday with the duel Cologne Centurions against Istanbul Rams. On Sunday, champion Frankfurt Galaxy will face Rhein Fire, Stuttgart Surge will welcome Barcelona Dragons, and Panthers Wroclaw will take on Leipzig Kings. Last year's finalist Hamburg Sea Devils await Berlin Thunder, while the Raiders Tirol take on the Vienna Vikings.
Football fans can watch all European League of Football games in HD quality live or on-demand on the league's OTT platform: The Season Pass is available for 99.99 euros, and this offer also includes highlight clips and other attractive content relating to the twelve teams.
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