As the German American football delegation arrives in Toronto Tuesday for meetings with Randy Ambrosie and other CFL officials, it will mark the start of a whirlwind 10 days for Ambrosie.
He will sit down with the president of the German American Football Federation, Robert Huber and chairman of the German Football League, Carsten Dalkowski, Tuesday night and will spend the next day and a half meeting to discuss the football situation in Europe and how the German federation and Canadian Football League can work together.
German American Football Federation president, Robert Huber:
“Players are at the heart of all our association and league work, and we hope that our players will have the opportunity to make their own dreams come true, including the once in a lifetime dream of playing in a professional league. “
Carsten Dalkwoski, Chairman of the German Football League:
“The CFL is a natural partner for the GFL and we believe that both leagues can cooperate for mutual benefit.”
Next week, Ambrosie then heads to Europe to meet with the Head of Business Operations for the French Federation of American Football, Pierre Trochet, and after that flies to Vienna, Austria for meetings with Gregor Murth, vice president of the American Football Federation of Austria and other members of the Austrian group.
A day later, he heads up to Helsinki, Finland to sit down with Roope Noronen, president of the Finnish federation and his counterparts from Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
With the success of the combine held in Mexico City earlier this month in conjunction with Mexico’s Liga de Futbol Americano Professional and the draft which saw all nine teams select Mexican players for their rosters, Ambrosie is forging ahead internationally.
The excitement on the part of the Europeans is clear. Each one has been extremely pleased with the approach that Ambrosie and the CFL has been taking.
Pierre Trochet, Head of Business Operations for the French Federation of American Football:
“We are very excited that Randy Ambrosie and the CFL has taken such an interest in football in Europe and France. This is a great initiative and I hope we can form a long-lasting relationship that helps football in France and Canada.”
This is a great opportunity for football in France and all over Europe. The FFFA already has solid relationships with Canada from High School to College. Almost 100 French kids are already playing Canadian football. It also presents a great window for European players to bring their skills into a pro level. This is a great sign sent by the CFL that international expansion is a key.”
More and more European groups have taken notice and are reaching out.
It is still too early to say where this will end. One thing is certain though. The profile of the Canadian Football League has definitely risen internationally.