"Our partners stand by us - we are ready"

In an in-depth interview with renowned German daily newspaper "Süddeutsche Zeitung", ELF CEO Zeljko Karajica answered all the pressing questions about the European League of Football. Here are the most important statements.

Zeljko Karajica...

on the question of why he continues despite hostility and adversity:

"Leaving aside my personal feelings and all the attacks that have been made - a great deal of energy, effort, and money has been poured into the ELF over the last five years. That's one thing. The other is that we have a functioning league. Over these five years, there have undoubtedly been many issues that may not have worked out. But for a league that is five years old, we have also achieved an incredible number of positive accomplishments: having two back-to-back games every Sunday on ProSiebenSat.1, worldwide distribution on DAZN, and a ticketing deal with Ticketmaster, to name just a few examples - that's not so bad. The ELF product as such works. You have to tweak things here and there and see if you can change certain things. But what we have now is worth not just walking away from, but developing further."

on the question of whether he still sees potential in the ELF:

"Sure, I still see potential there. Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing it. But unfortunately, it's not a walk in the park. American football made in Europe is something that can work. But it's not gold lying around on the street that you just have to pick up. You have to work hard for it. To establish such a sport in the sporting calendar, to get the right response from sponsors, generating sufficient distribution revenues - all of that is hard work."

on the question of whether it's even possible to make it work in time for the 2026 season:

"We've overcome more difficult situations before. I'm thinking, for example, of 2021, when we started the league under coronavirus restrictions.

It's a daring venture. But I believe it's all doable. I always say when we talk to the franchises: everything is in place, we are ready. If we decide to broadcast a game on Sunday, it will be shown on DAZN or ProSiebenSat.1. Because we have the infrastructure, the hardware, and the operators and service providers who have multi-year contracts with us."

on the question of the ELF's contractual situation:

"That is one of the core values we have as the ELF: our existing contracts - with franchises on the one hand, and with our partners such as TV, distribution, and advertising on the other. Bringing these two things together is what creates the product. And we are the only ones who have both sides."

on the question of whether it can work with three competing American football leagues:

"That's a misjudgment of reality. Today, we have three leagues competing for American football in Europe. What has changed so dramatically in the market that people are saying: 'Now we can have three leagues. The sponsors and partners are all just waiting to get involved.' The reality is completely different. In the competitive environment we are facing, it's still hard enough for one league."

on the question of what this means for the financial situation this year:

"I am convinced that millions will be burned this year. Will that improve the financial bottlenecks?

If we don't exist, American football made in Europe will not survive."

on the question of whether the partners still stand by the ELF:

"The partners stand by us. We have long-term contracts with many partners. These contracts are all still valid."

on the question of active franchise agreements:

"From our point of view, agreements with nine teams are absolutely valid. And in this respect, we expect these teams to play in our league. Our position is clear. Ultimately, contracts are there to be honored. From a legal standpoint we have now made our position on the franchise agreements and the fulfillment of the contracts very clear."

on the question of whether there could be lengthy legal disputes:

"That could happen. Of course. We will not budge an inch from our position."

on the question of whether talks with the other leagues are still ongoing:

"Yes, absolutely. We are in talks. The only question is how much time we have left. But it wouldn't be the first time that things suddenly start moving at the last minute."