ELF announces grouping of 16 teams into four divisions - Esume: "Our league will be more competitive than ever before"

The destination of longing is already set: On September 7, 2025, the Championship Game of the European League of Football will take place in the MHP Arena, home of VfB Stuttgart. Sixteen teams from nine nations will compete with the goal of taking center stage in this showdown in the  "living room" of the German soccer Bundesliga runner-up. Now, the anticipation of players and fans alike gets another boost: 155 days before the kickoff of the 2025 season, the organizers of the "Champions League" of European Football have announced the grouping of teams into four divisions.

In the North Division, back-to-back Champion Rhein Fire will face Berlin Thunder and the Hamburg Sea Devils, both from Germany, as well as ELF newcomer Nordic Storm. The franchise from Copenhagen, Denmark, enters the league with high ambitions, bolstered by the signings of quarterback Jadrian Clark (MVP 2023) and running back Glen Toonga (MVP 2024). The two top stars are set to face their former teammates from Rhein Fire in at least two matchups.

In the West Division, the Paris Musketeers from France will go up against three German teams: Stuttgart Surge, the 2023 finalist; Frankfurt Galaxy, the first ELF Champion from 2021; and the Cologne Centurions.

The South Division features four teams from four different countries competing for playoff spots: the Helvetic Mercenaries from Switzerland, the Madrid Bravos from Spain, the Munich Ravens from Germany, and the Raiders Tirol from Austria.

The East Division will also have a very international flair in its divisional games, with the Fehérvár Enthroners from Hungary, the Prague Lions from the Czech Republic, the Vienna Vikings (2022 champions), and the Panthers Wroclaw from Poland facing off.

Teams will play home-and-away games within their divisions, alongside six inter-divisional matchups, which will be announced soon.

"We are about to witness a league that, in its fifth season, will be more competitive than ever before", said Commissioner Patrick Esume. "It's incredibly fascinating to see how franchises are building their coaching staffs and rosters. There’s so much turnover, so many changes - coaches and players being "poached" - it’s extremely exciting. By structuring the league into four divisions, we’ve sharpened our profile and will see a whole range of new matchups, including some we’ve never seen before in the ELF. Fans can really look forward to that."

The four new divisions:

North Division: Berlin Thunder, Hamburg Sea Devils, Nordic Storm, Rhein Fire

East Division: Fehervar Enthroners, Prague Lions, Vienna Vikings, Wroclaw Panthers

South Division: Munich Ravens, Helvetic Mercenaries, Raiders Tirol, Madrid Bravos

West Division: Cologne Centurions, Frankfurt Galaxy, Stuttgart Surge, Paris Musketeers

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