Embarking on its 18th exhilarating season, the Sportklub Central European Football League (CEFL) is set to ignite the European American football scene in 2024. This year, the league will feature a diverse lineup of 12 elite international teams, including last year's champions, the La Courneuve Flash, and the champions from eight European national leagues. These formidable contenders will battle it out for supremacy and the coveted opportunity to claim victory in CEFL Bowl XVIII.
1. La Courneuve Flash - CEFL Bowl XVII champions
2. Thonon Black Panthers - French champions
3. Parma Panthers - Italian champions
4. Danube Dragons - Austrian champions
5. Florence Guelfi - Italian vice-champions
6. Stockholm Mean Machines - Swedish champions
7. Calanda Broncos - Swiss champions
8. Thalheim Graz Giants - Austrian semifinalists
9. Kragujevac Wild Boars - Serbian champions
10. Belgrade SBB Vukovi - Serbian vice-champions
11. Budapest Wolves - Hungarian champions
12. Manchester Titans - British champions
2024 SCHEDULE
The competition will take place during r four weekends on the following dates: April 20, May 11, June 1, and June 22. A modified cup system will be employed: Four seeded teams, (1) La Courneuve Flash, (2) Thonon Black Panthers, (3) Parma Panthers, and (4)Vienna Danube Dragons, will skip the first round. The remaining eight teams will engage in four single-elimination first-round games, organized regionally.
First round matchups on April 20:
1. Florence Guelfi (5) vs. Belgrade SBB Vukovi (10)
2. Stockholm Mean Machines (6) vs. Manchester Titans (12)
3. Calanda Broncos (7) vs. Budapest Wolves (11)
4. Thalheim Graz Giants (8) vs. Kragujevac Wild Boars (9)
The second round, scheduled for May 11, will feature the winners of the first-round games, with matchups to be determined based on the outcomes. The semifinals, set for June 1, will see winning teams from the second round battling for a spot in the CEFL Bowl XVIII. The location of the CEFL Bowl XVIII on June 22 will be determined by one of the finalists, promising an exciting conclusion to the championship.
ROUND ONE GAME TO WATCH
Thalheim Graz Giants (8) vs. Kragujevac Wild Boars (9)
This matchup will be interesting for anyone wanting to measure international competition. The Graz Giants had a very respectable 2023 season, going 8-2 during the regular season, finishing 3rd in the Austrian Football League. A 4-point loss to the eventual league champions, Danube Dragons, ended their season in the semifinals of the playoffs. All this information confirms that the 2024 team will be an AFL contender once again, and poised to make an immediate impact in the CEFL tournament.
The Kragujevac Wild Boars are reigning CEFL Cup Champions, and returning from an undefeated championship run as Serbia’s champion. Despite their “interesting” position in the CEFL rankings, the Wild Boars are winners, and they don’t expect that to stop because their first round opponents represent Austria instead of Serbia. This team is ready to show the world how they play football in Serbia.
ROUND TWO GAMES TO WATCH
*Because of the seeding, I’ll take some liberties and assume the higher ranked teams will win round one. This article will also be updated after the round one games have been played.
La Courneuve Flash (1) vs Stockholm Mean Machines (5)
We can expect this matchup to be a look into the eventual winner of the 2024 CEFL Championship (no disrespect to the other participating teams). The Flash are the reigning champs, all eyes should be on them in this tournament. By May the team will be running on all cylinders, thanks to the French season starting in February. After surviving Parma Panthers and Thonon Black Panthers in last year’s CEFL, the Flash will be ready for anything in 2024.
The Stockholm Mean Machines are the sleeper team of this year’s tournament. After taking the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns to the limit in last year’s CEFL, this team is eager to have some GetBack against whoever stands in their way.
Danube Dragons (4) vs Florence Guelfi (5)
Danube Dragons are the reigning champs in Austria, this entire tournament is icing on the cake for this organization. But it's also an opportunity to firmly cement Austria as an international powerhouse. The fact that two French teams played in the 2023 CEFL Final is a fact that isn’t being ignored by the addition of Austrian teams to this year’s field of participants. What does that have to do with the Italian team, Guelfi? Nothing, but they are in the way of the Dragons' claim to international glory. So you can expect it to be a game worth seeing.
The Firenze Guelfi 2023 season ended in a championship loss to the Parma Panthers. Playing in this tournament will give Guelfi the competition it needs to avenge that losing feeling from that game. But more importantly, playing against an Austrian national champion will give the Italian based team a true indicator of where they stand on the international scale.
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