ELF: Leipzig Kings announce withdrawal from 2023 season

| American Football | 07/11/2023

Following a saga of social media updates surrounding the Kings’ financial situation over recent days, Leipzig, who were one of the league’s original members in 2021, have officially withdrawn their team from the remainder of the 2023 European League of Football season, releasing the following statement via Instagram:

Rumors of their demise began just two weeks ago when the Kings announced via social media that they would ‘most likely have to stop competing in the European League of Football’, going on to outline the origins of their financial issues. They spoke of a loan they requested from the league to stay afloat while they recover, only to have their request denied.

Days later, Kings GM and owner Moritz Heisler shared more details on his team’s situation via a Twitch live stream with the ELF expert from FootBowl; Heisler went on to speak about the impacts of the previous owners on the reputation of the Kings to potential sponsors and partners.

Aside from the obvious impacts on the team’s staff, coaches and season ticket holders, the Kings’ withdrawal will have far-reaching implications on various aspects of the remainder of this season, bringing up a lot of unanswered questions.

For instance, four teams – Wroclaw Panthers, Cologne Centurions, Fehérvár Enthroners, Berlin Thunder – will be missing a home game, resulting in a missed revenue opportunity, as teams rely heavily on ticket sales to generate income. This brings up the question, what will the league do to help reimburse these teams for their losses, if anything? Not to mention the playoff seeding nightmare that awaits assuming each team scheduled to play Leipzig is awarded a 35-0 walkover.

Furthermore, the removal of the Kings from this year’s setup will result in some big names becoming free agents, such as ELF tackle-leader AJ Wentland, top-10 rusher Steve McShane and many more.

The ELF are yet to comment on the Kings’ statement.

A current student at Bournemouth University as well as a quarterback with eight years of playing experience. Brad's goal is to be a part of the growth of the game around the world through journalism and media.