"Good to be back in Vienna": Bierbaumer eyes final stretch

With two games remaining in the regular season, the Vienna Vikings have already secured a spot in the playoffs. Now the only question is whether they will qualify directly for the semifinals or have to go through the Wild Card Round.

Currently, the Vikings are in a strong position: With a win over the Fehérvár Enthroners in Game Week 11, they clinched the East Division title and sit at the top of the playoff picture with a 9-1 record. Should they keep the top spot, they would move directly on to the semifinals with home-field advantage – something Vikings tight end Florian Bierbaumer is particularly excited about: "The possibility of hosting a playoff game is huge. The past home games we've had all really been amazing, and if we go back to the past years, the Semi has always been another level of energy – of fun. The fans are involved, they really feel with it, it’s gonna be a great game no matter who we’re playing. I'm just looking forward," he said in an interview with europeanleague.football.

Watch the Vikings at Enthroners highlights here!

Strong road performances secure East Division title for Vikings

The Vienna Vikings recently completed a challenging stretch of three consecutive away games – Week 9 against the Paris Musketeers, Week 10 versus the Wroclaw Panthers, and Week 11 facing the Fehérvár Enthroners – and won them all. Throughout these matches, the Vikings steadily improved their performance and finished with a clear victory over the Fehérvár Enthroners, which secured their fourth consecutive East Division title. Speaking about the win against the Enthroners, tight end Florian Bierbaumer said, "The team performance was great. We really executed all parts of the game – special teams, offense and defense. It was a feel-good game."

For their trip to Székesfehérvár, the Vikings traveled by bus, making it a day trip. Bierbaumer explained that the long journey didn't cause any problems: "We managed it well. In Europe, it's quite common – especially before we joined the ELF – to have bus drives without sleep. I think we're pretty used to it, and that helped us a lot. We know how to handle it and how to get our bodies moving again after being on a bus for four hours. We did a great job with that." For Bierbaumer, the win in Hungary marked the perfect start to the league-wide bye Week: "Going into a bye week with a good feeling to turn off a little bit."

After 11 Game Weeks, the tight end was grateful not only for the mental break but also for the physical recovery time: "The bye week comes in at a really great time. The body is feeling the past 10 games – you get bumps and bruises, some soreness, and everything going on in your body – so bye week is great to get rid of it and flush all that out." Following ten demanding games, the Vikings' players enjoyed some well-earned rest: "I'm in Croatia right now. I still have time to take care of my body before the upcoming weeks."

Watch the Gazi Hero Plays of Week 11 here!

The goal is clear: "We want to win the games."

After the break, Bierbaumer and his teammates will enter the final stretch of the season. On offense, they aim to continue working on the connection between their quarterback, Ben Holmes, and the receivers. "That's what matters: being detail-oriented and taking care of those details, to really execute this offense," Bierbaumer explains. He adds that this already worked well in the game against the Enthroners: "I think that was a great game to work on it and we improved a lot with the game against the Enthroners."

To secure home-field advantage for the semifinals, the Vikings want to win their last two games, Bierbaumer continues: "We want to end the season with two more wins and then go into the playoffs with home-field advantage for the semis – that's, of course, the main goal." He sees himself as a team player without any ego: "I want to do as much as I can to help the team win – I mean, that’s what I get paid for – and that's what I'm planning up."

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Back home and ready for the playoffs

After three consecutive away games, the Vikings get to play their final two regular season matches back at home, something Florian Bierbaumer is very happy about: "It's good to be back in Vienna again. We've been on the road for a few weeks, but you can't forget how it feels to play at home." He adds, "It's so much different to play at home, knowing everyone is just there to support you and wants to see you succeed – that’s what we practice for."

He's also looking forward to facing the Panthers again: "I'm looking forward to that rematch, it was really a good game. The Panthers are a really strong team – you can't underestimate anybody in this league anymore." According to Bierbaumer, the ELF's level of play has improved significantly since the league's inception: "I think the level has developed a lot since we first joined the ELF. Some of those European talents are really starting to show that they can play at a high level when they get the facilities and everything they need around them to bring that level of play out — to get their bodies and minds right to perform like that. So, I think it's been a really good development, and I'm looking forward to the future."

Bierbaumer's goal is to close the season by winning a championship ring: "Every player who starts the season in the ELF has that expectation – to win a championship. That’s what we're here for, that's what we all put the work in for."

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