CEFL: Central European Football League Announces 2024 Teams, Schedule, & Championship
The Sportklub Central European Football League has announced the teams and schedule for the 2024 CEFL Championship season with a total of 12 teams from eight countries vying for the title.
The La Courneuve Flash from France, defending CEFL Bowl XVII champions return along with their opponents from the title game, the Thonon Black Panthers, reigning French champions. Eight of the 12 teams are current national champions including Thonon.
Newcomers to the tournament are British title holders, the Manchester Titans. Returning to the tournament after a brief hiatus are the Austrian champions, the Danube Dragons as well as the Thalheim Graz Giants.
The following teams will be vying for the right to appear in the CEFL Bowl XVIII:
La Courneuve Flash – CEFL Bowl XVII champions
Thonon Black Panthers – French champions
Parma Panthers – Italian champions
Danube Dragons – Austrian champions
Firenze Guelfi – Italian runners up
Stockholm Mean Machines – Swedish champions
Calanda Broncos – Swiss champions
Thalheim Graz Giants – Austrian semifinalists
Kragujevac Wild Boars – Serbian champions
Belgrade SBB Vukovi – Serbian runners up
Budapest Wolves – Hungarian champions
Manchester Titans – British champions
The tournament will be held over the following four weekends: April 20, May 11, June 1, and June 22. Four seeded teams – La Courneuve Flash, Thonon Black Panthers, Parma Panthers and Danube Dragons – will skip the first round. The remaining eight teams will compete in four, single-elimination first-round games, matched regionally.
First round, April 20
Florence Guelfi – Belgrade SBB Vukovi
Stockholm Mean Machines – Manchester Titans
Calanda Broncos – Budapest Wolves
Thalheim Graz Giants – Kragujevac Wild Boars
Second round, May 11
La Courneuve Flash – Stockholm Mean Machines/Manchester Titans
Thonon Black Panthers – Thalheim Graz Giants/Kragujevac Wild Boars
Parma Panthers – Calanda Broncos/Budapest Wolves
Vienna Danube Dragons – Florence Guelfi/Belgrade SBB Vukovi
The semifinals are scheduled for June 1 and will feature the four winners of the second round games. Semifinal matchups are to be determined after the conclusion of the second round.
CEFL Bowl XVIII is set for June 22 and will be hosted by one of the finalists.
