Yesterday 14:00, by Florian Puth

More Championship Games in Stuttgart? VfB-Manager Kasper: "We have it in our hands"

VfB Stuttgart

Yesterday 14:00, by Florian Puth

More Championship Games in Stuttgart? VfB-Manager Kasper: "We have it in our hands"

On September 7, there will be a big football party in the MHP Arena in Stuttgart. That's when it will be decided who will win the fifth season of the European League of Football. The fans can look forward to a thrilling season, a great final and the city of Stuttgart to an absolute spectacle. 

This is not the first football final to be held in the southern German city. Between 1994 and 1997, the Eurobowl finals were held here at Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadium in front of an impressive crowd of 17,000 to 20,000 fans.

It will also be a special return for ELF Commissioner Patrick Esume, who once played in the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadium himself. The 50-year-old won the Eurobowl with the Hamburg Blue Devils in 1997. 

"If you had told me almost 30 years ago that I would come back here to Stuttgart as Commissioner of an European American Football League, I would have said you've had too much wine", says Esume.

Get your tickets for the 2025 Championship Game here!

VfB Stuttgart wants to attract even more fans

It will also be a special match for Rouven Kasper. The Director of Marketing and Sales for VfB Stuttgart certainly knows the MHP Arena well. It's VfB's home turf.

"I think the city of Stuttgart and our arena, has already shown several times that we can host major events as well as finals", says a delighted Kasper. The goal is clear to him: to express the city of Stuttgart's enthusiasm for sport.

The MHP Arena was recently modernized and expanded to enable large events to run smoothly. In addition to soccer, concerts are regularly held here. 

The cooperation between soccer and American football can work as impressively demonstrated by the Championship Game 2024, which took place in the Veltins-Arena, the home ground of the traditional soccer club FC Schalke 04. The game was watched by over 40,000 fans - an ELF record.

"The potential of American football is huge"

Kasper sees a major event like this as a great opportunity, also for the city of Stuttgart. "It is important for Stuttgart as a living and economic area, for the people who live here. That they have several points of contact, that they can feel the enthusiasm", he explains. 

And even though the final will not take place until September, he is already looking to the future: "We have been keeping a close eye on the development of the ELF and that's why, even before the final was held at Schalke, I said we want to bring this final here to Stuttgart this year and, ideally, for the next few years as well. To create something here together, because the potential of American football is huge."

Commissioner Esume does not want to rule out another Championship Game in Stuttgart, but clarifies: "It's not a done deal, because we are of course a European league. We can't always play in Germany, even if it is of course the most attractive European market." So far, three of the four ELF Championship Games have been held in German cities: Düsseldorf (2021), Duisburg (2023) and Gelsenkirchen (2024). The 2022 Championship Game took place in Klagenfurt, Austria.

"That makes us proud"

VfB Stuttgart would also be interested in hosting a Championship Game again. "I believe that we have it in our own hands. If we can produce something untouchable here, we can do it. I'm optimistic", said Kasper.

The VfB would also like to play its part in further internationalizing the sport of American football. "Bringing the biggest European event in American football here to Stuttgart makes us proud", explains Kasper.

Get your tickets for the 2025 Championship Game here!

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