The strongest American football teams in Europe are returning to the competition, including the Polish representatives.
Panthers Wrocław will inaugurate this year's season this Sunday (June,5th) with a home duel with German Leipzig Kings at the Olympic Stadium. Due to the demanding schedule of the European League of Football, each match this year can have a decisive influence on the promotion to the play-off phase.
Barcelona, Vienna, Innsbruck, Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Istanbul and of course Wrocław. The next season of the European League of Football starts this weekend, and the stakes of this year's competition look impressive - four more teams have joined the league, and in the following years there will be twice as many. For the Wroclaw Panthers, however, one thing remains unchanged - the fight to win the championship.
In the previous season, Wrocław proved to be one of the strongest teams on the European soil. The Panthers won 6 out of 10 matches in the main round, thanks to which they advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament, and in the direct fight for the grand final they slightly lost to the Hamburg Sea Devils team. Before this year's season, the team experienced significant reinforcements, which - as the club's representatives assure - are to allow the Panthers to join the fight for the most important football trophy on the Old Continent.
The first stop of Panthers Wrocław on the way to the knockout stage of the tournament will be the clash with Leipzig Kings - a team that the franchise from Wrocław left empty twice last year, although it certainly cannot be said that the victories with the team from Leipzig were easy for them. The Panthers realize that the German team has also made a big boost, and their most dangerous side may be the passing game again.
- Before each match, we not only analyze the tactical settings, but also the enemy's personnel. Leipzig has significantly strengthened its defense before this season, bringing in players with impressive experience. On the offense, the Kings still have a strong receiver corps and a very good quarterback who came to Europe immediately after his university career ended. However, as always, we approach the match with a fighting attitude and we intend to prove on the pitch that we are the leading team in Europe - announces Jakub Samel , Head Coach of Panthers Wrocław.
The Panthers also worked hard during the league break, strengthening their team in every possible field - both in terms of the roster and the coaching staff. The biggest change on the field will be visible in the position of quarterback - the offense of Wrocław players will be led this year by Justice Hansen , who is the only quarterback in the league to have played at the highest university level in the United States. Interestingly, Hansen has also been tested in the past by clubs from the NFL - the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Chargers. Although the Panthers excelled in the league statistics of passing play last season, their new quarterback is expected to take it to an even higher level, as well as provide more versatility to the offense.
In the role of the Panthers head coach, we will invariably see Jakub Samel , who this year has been surrounded by an extremely experienced and extensive training staff. Substantive support for the head coach of the Wrocław team will be the star of the highest sports format - Gary Kubiak , former head coach of, among others the Denver Broncos with whom he raised the Super Bowl trophy six years ago!
- We aim high, our goal, as always, will be the fight for the European Championship. We are sure that our opponents will also be stronger than last year - Leipzig Kings are a very strong team, which we could see twice in the previous season. Our training staff, however, carefully analyzed the possibilities of the rivals and I can confidently say that we are well prepared for this match. It will be a match at the highest European level, so fans will find a huge dose of sports emotions - says Michał Latoś , President of the Management Board of Panthers Wrocław.
The meeting of Panthers Wrocław with Leipzig Kings will be held next Sunday (June, 5th) at 15.00 (3pm CET) at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław. Tickets for the event can be purchased now at Ticketmaster, as well as at the ticket offices on the game day. Those who are not able to visit the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław in person can watch the meeting live from 15.00 on Polsat Sport News .