The new European League of Football conferences shook up the landscape of European Football. With new teams and new matchups, it is harder than ever to predict, who will be the favorite and who is in the role of the underdog. While everyone is talking about the Western Conference, as the toughest and most exciting one, I belive that it is the Central Conference, we should be looking forward to the most. And here is why:

Three new franchises and two rebuilds

What makes the Central Conference so unpredictable is easy to see. Three out of the six teams will play their first ever season in the European League of Football. With great quarterbacks and outstanding coaching staffs, the Helvetic Guards, Milano Seamen and Munich Ravens, have a lot of upside and can contend for the playoffs in a conference that features no dominant team.

While the other three franchises already played in the league, they are looking extremely different. Let’s start with the obvious. The Stuttgart Surge, who have been the league’s worst team over the past two seasons, are looking like an early favorite. After two wins in two seasons, the Swabian franchise signed the arguably best coach in Europe in Jordan Neuman. The former German national team head coach and multiple time CEFL- and German Bowl champion has completely revamped the franchise turning it into a title contender.

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While the Surge got better, the Dragons got worse. Losing superstars like Zach Edwards, Kyle Sweet, Alejandro Fernández and Anthony Rodrigues just to name a few, the Spanish franchise had to find replacements for the team’s top performers, who played a huge run in the Dragons’ surprising playoff run in 2021. With a new head coach and plenty of new players, the Spanish franchise is looking like the conference’s underdog.
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Last but not least are the Tirol Raiders. While they are getting back most of their roster, they are losing their most important player. 2022 European League of Football MVP Sean Shelton retired, ending a career that saw him spending 8 years with the Austrian powerhouse. Canadian quarterback Carson Strong is now tasked with replacing the franchise legend. Losing icons like Shelton always has an impact not only on, but also off the field, so I have my troubles putting the Raiders at the top of the conference.

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As you can see, there are plenty of exciting teams, with no clear-cut favorites, making it hard to predict, who will make the playoffs and which teams might disappoint. This will provide for tough matchups that will carry more weight than the other conference games.

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