PRESS RELEASE

It’s going in quick succession! The line-up for the 2022 season in the European League of Football continues to take shape. After those responsible were able to present the Vienna Vikings as a new franchise, Managing Director Zeljko Karajica and Commissioner Patrick Esume have now reached an agreement with the second top team from Austria: clear the stage for the SWARCO Raiders Tirol. 

“It’s a great thing that after Germany, Spain and Poland we can establish another nation as a strong location in the European League of Football. Innsbruck not only has a very good team, but also has a beautiful stadium with the Tivoli. I can’t wait to see the Raiders’ first game there.” 

Zeljko Karajica.

Commissioner Patrick Esume sees it exactly the same way; he has followed the development of football in the Alpine republic with great interest:

“The Raiders have what it takes to be at the top of the European League of Football. What applies to the Vienna Vikings also applies to Tyrol: Their advantage is that they have a grown team that is eager to face the competition.” 

In Austria, the Raiders were often the measure of all things, having won eight times the Austrian Bowl, as reigning champions in 2021 you now dare to make the leap into the European League of Football. But the Tyroleans have also found their way on the international stage in the past, they have secured the Eurobowl three times, also three times the title in the Central European Football League, most recently in 2019. 

The SWARCO Raiders Tirol are after the Hamburg Sea Devils and Frankfurt Galaxy, who play the first champion on Sunday, September 26th at 2.45 p.m. in the Düsseldorf MERKUR SPIEL-Arena, Berlin Thunder, Stuttgart Surge, the Cologne Centurions and the Leipzig Kings from Germany, the Barcelona Dragons from Spain and the Panthers Wroclaw from Poland and Vienna Vikings will be the tenth team to participate in the 2022 European League of Football. 

“Vienna and Innsbruck are the first additions, but it won’t stop there. The interest in the league is huge and we are in advanced talks with other possible franchises. As soon as the ink on the contracts is dry, we will announce the next locations. There are at least twelve teams at the start, but we hope to be able to offer the fans as many as 14 or 16 teams.”

Patrick Esume