June 4, 2022 — Vienna, Austria
The European League of Football didn’t just open its second season that day — it exploded back to life.
Under a crisp blue Austrian sky, two of Europe’s oldest football dynasties met for the first time on a new stage: the Vienna Vikings and the Raiders Tirol.
It wasn’t just a kickoff game. It was a declaration of war — Alpine style.
Starting Teams 2022
- Berlin Thunder (Berlin)
- Hamburg Sea Devils (Hamburg)
- Leipzig Kings (Leipzig)
- Panthers Wrocław (Wrocław)
- Frankfurt Galaxy (Frankfurt)
- Cologne Centurions (Köln)
- Barcelona Dragons (Reus/Spanien)
- Stuttgart Surge (Stuttgart)
- Rhein Fire (Duisburg)
- Raiders Tirol (Innsbruck)
- Vienna Vikings (Vienna)
- Istanbul Rams
Old Rivalry, New League
This wasn’t your average season opener.
For years, Vienna and Tirol had ruled the Austrian gridiron like twin mountain kings — trading championships, recruiting battles, and grudges that went back generations.
Now, they were both in the ELF, and the message was clear:
If this league is going to be Europe’s best, it starts right here — in the Alps.
From the first drive, it was a chess match with shoulder pads.
Vienna’s precision offense versus Tirol’s iron defense.
Every yard felt like a national argument.
Vikings Strike First
In front of their home crowd, the Vikings edged out the Raiders 29–23, in a game that set the tone for the season — physical, emotional, and fiercely local.
The crowd wasn’t massive, but it was alive.
You could feel that this meant more than just Week 1 — it was about pride, about proving that the ELF wasn’t just a German league with extras.
It was truly European.
The Sound of Seriousness
As the final whistle echoed across Vienna, the league felt different.
Sharper. Realer.
The ELF had survived its rookie year — now it was building an identity.
And starting the season with an Austrian grudge match was genius: a story steeped in history, wrapped in modern ambition.
The 2022 ELF season didn’t begin with a coin toss.
It began with a statement — that Austria had just become Europe’s gridiron battleground.
