The battle between the Tirol Raiders and the Vienna Vikings has been one of the standout matchups in European League of Football. Even back in the AFL era of both teams, the battles between the Tirol Raiders and the Vienna Vikings were the most anticipated matchups. Since 1998, one of the two teams has always been in the Austrian Bowl. The rivalry between the two franchises has deep historical roots and is certainly one of the must-watch games in the European League of Football. On top of that, 39 players from the Austrian national team currently play for the Raiders (17) and the Vikings (22). 

"We will do everything in our power to win against the Vikings"

Since both teams joined the European League of Football back in 2022, the Raiders did not manage to beat the Vikings once. With a 0-3 record against their Austrian rival, the Raiders desperately need a win to secure a spot in the playoffs. Sitting at 7-2 in the Central Conference, the Raiders currently trail the 7-2 Stuttgart Surge and have the 5-4 Munich Ravens hunting them from third place.

Team captain and homegrown linebacker Ruben Seeber is looking forward to his fourth chance to beat the Vikings in the European League of Football. "We know each other well as opponents, and we always bring an A-game!" With their new quarterback Joe Dolincheck and wide receiver Trevon Sidney, the Raiders have to clean up some mistakes that happened in Week 11 against the Helvetic Guards. "We will do everything in our capacity to snatch their perfect season away from them this Saturday," the Austrian linebacker commented.

"Austria is going to stay purple!"

"The rivalry between the Vikings and Raiders has existed for as long as I can remember, which is why these games always rank among the toughest and closest in my career," Vikings free safety Luis Horvath commented on the upcoming matchup against the Raiders. "Off the field, we always get along great, largely because we've known each other in Austria for a very long time and also play together on the national team."

Not like the Raiders, the Vikings have already secured their spot in the playoffs with their perfect 9-0 record. “With a win against the Raiders this weekend, we can take a significant step towards securing positions 1 and 2, thus giving us a chance to avoid the Wild Card Round." So, winning against the Raiders this weekend will be just as important for the Vikings as it is for the Raiders. But Horvath and the Vikings are ready to improve their record to 4-0 against the Raiders in the European League of Football. "Austria is going to stay purple!"