ELF: Prague Lions to resume play and finish 2023 season

| American Football | 07/26/2023

Good news out of the European League of Football as the League head office and the Prague Lions both announced the team will return to play and finish the 2023 season.

“We are pleased to announce that the European League of Football has been informed by the Prague Lions and ownership that the game operation is secured for the remainder of the season. Thus, the investors and management will rework their internal structure within the upcoming days to secure the quality of performance on and off the field.” -Via ELF

The Prague Lions are however without an official head coach and as of now do not have a quarterback as long-time head coach Zach Harrod and 6’9 quarterback Nate Cox have left the team. According to sources close to the team, the Lions have also lost several key Czech players and imports such as Aleksander Borkovic and Zaire Ugapo.

Positively, the team did hold onto several of its American coaches and the core of the team’s domestic talent. The team released this statement yesterday as they look forward to hosting the Wroclaw Panthers this Saturday in the Czech capital.

“The Prague Lions are back on track and fired up to hit the field this weekend, as we proudly host the Wroclaw Panthers. A big shoutout to the league, team management, coaching staff and our players for their unwavering commitment.”

The Prague Lions players voted last Friday not to make the trip to Hungary, which ended with the game against the Fehervar Enthroners being canceled at the last minute. Following the resignation of head coach and GM Zach Harrod, players refused to practice demonstrating their frustration with management and unpaid salaries dating back to May. According to sources, the financial issues stemmed from lack of investment from sponsors and investors

Some candidates for the next head coach are former Kansas University assistant (NCAA DI) coach Reggie Mitchell and defensive coordinator Dan Disch who has previously been a head coach in the German Football League, as well as a assistant at the University of Florida and Illinois (NCAA DI).

The league avoids a potential disaster with the return of the Prague Lions as the Leipzig Kings, who also shared the Eastern Conference with the Lions, withdrew from the league only three weeks ago. If both teams had dropped out, it would’ve left several teams with significantly fewer home games, which in this league would result in a substantial financial hit.

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and