[tps_header]2015 IFAF Europe Champions League[/tps_header]
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IFAF Europe has released the European American football clubs that will participate in the 2015 IFAF Europe Champions League tournament.
Twelve teams will participate in the 2015 edition, ideally in four groups of three teams, with the winners advances to four team playoffs knockout stage.
IFAF Europe has stated that the full schedule and groupings will be released within the next week.
Similar to the 2014 tournament, notably absent are teams from two of Europe’s strongest leagues in Austria and Germany.
Also missing are representatives from Norway, Holland, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Ireland, and Switzerland.
Let’s review the clubs!
Click NEXT to the right.
[tps_title]Aix-en-Provence Argonautes (France)[/tps_title]
The 2014 French 2nd Division champions are newcomers to the competition. Although, they will be joining FFFA’s top ‘Elite’ division in 2015, it is curious how a club that competed in a 2nd division was chosen to participate. That said, the Argos have a long and illustrious tradition in French American football and have a strong organization.
[tps_title]Belgrade Vukovi (Serbia)[/tps_title]
The 2014 Serbian champions and CEFL (Central European Football League) champions were the runners-up in this past summer’s tournament. The Serbs upset the French champions, the Thonon Black Panthers, before succumbing to Finland’s Helsinki Roosters in the final.
[tps_title]Carlstad Crusaders (Sweden)[/tps_title]
The Crusaders have won five consecutive Swedish championships. Last year they were eliminated in the group stage by the Roosters.
[tps_title]Copenhagen Towers (Denmark)[/tps_title]
The back-to-back Danish champions return to the Champions League for a second year. Last year they were eliminated in the group stage by the Roosters.
[tps_title]Helsinki Roosters (Finland)[/tps_title]
The Roosters are the defending IFAF Europe Champions and have won three consecutive Finnish titles. The Roosters will have a target on their backs in 2015 and will have to try to repeat without quarterback Robert Johnson. However, returning for 2015 is the Finnish league MVP Jaycen Taylor.
[tps_title]Istanbul Bogazici Sultans (Turkey)[/tps_title]
The Sultans are the defending Turkish league champions and will be returning to the Champions League in 2015. They were eliminated in the group stage by the Belgrade Vukovi last year.
[tps_title]L’Hospitalet Pioners (Spain)[/tps_title]
The Pioners finished 4th in Spain’s top LNFA Elite league in 2014. The Pioners did win every Spanish title from 2010 to 2013 and are traditionally a strong organization, but it is curious as to why they were chosen. Perhaps the 2014 Spanish champions, the neighboring Badalona Dracs, did not apply to the Champions League.
[tps_title]London Blitz (England)[/tps_title]
The London Blitz are returning to the Champions League, after finished 2014 as runner’s up in the UK’s BAFA Premier League. Losing to the London Warriors in the 2014 BritBowl, the Blitz hope to get out of the group stage, where they were eliminated this past year by the Elancourt Templiers.
[tps_title]Ljubljana Silverhawks (Slovenia)[/tps_title]
The 2014 Slovenian champions and 2014 CEFL runner’s up join the IFAF Europe Champions League for the first time. Look for this exciting team to turn some heads.
[tps_title]Madrid Osos Rivas (Spain)[/tps_title]
The Osos Rivas finished 3rd in Spain’s top LNFA Elite league in 2014. Similar to the Pioners, we hope the team from Madrid can represent Spain well in the 2015 tournament.
[tps_title]Milano Seamen (Italy)[/tps_title]
The 2014 Italian champions will join the tournament in 2015. The Seamen upset the Parma Panthers last July in Italian Super Bowl XXXVIII.
[tps_title]Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers (France)[/tps_title]
The 2014 French champions and 2014 IFAF Europe Champions League semi-finalists return to the tournament to avenge their loss to the Serbs from Belgrade in the Elancourt, France last July.