April 2024 — Somewhere between silence and revolt.
It didn’t start with a press release or a statement.
It started with coffee cups, closed doors, and owners who’d finally had enough.
By the spring of 2024, the European League of Football was still projecting strength — new markets, new sponsors, and the usual talk of “growth.”
But under the polished surface, the numbers weren’t adding up.
Too many promises had been delayed, too many invoices left hanging, too many decisions made without the people footing the bills.
And so, in April 2024, the Football Franchise Association (FFA) was quietly born.
Not a rebellion — at least not yet.
But definitely a warning shot.
FFA Founding Members
- Barcelona Dragons
- Fehérvár Enthroners
- Frankfurt Galaxy
- Madrid Bravos
- Milano Seamen
- Paris Musketeers
- Prague Lions
- Raiders Tirol
- Rhein Fire
- Vienna Vikings
- Panthers Wrocław
The Tenants Unionize
For years, ELF franchises had been told they were “partners.”
But real partners don’t have to form a union to be heard.
The FFA — sometimes called the “ELF Franchise Association” — began as an informal coalition of owners who wanted answers:
Where is the money going?
Why are the clubs bearing the risk while the league office collects the glory?
And how, exactly, are the supposed “revenue shares” calculated?
They didn’t just talk — they organized.
Eleven teams — more than half the league — quietly aligned under a single goal: transparency.
Governance Over Glamour
For a league obsessed with image, this was the first time the conversation shifted from logos to lawsuits, from broadcast rights to governance rights.
In the owners’ WhatsApp chats, the tone hardened:
“When do we see the books?”
“Who actually decides how much we get?”
“Are we partners or employees?”
Behind the scenes, the ELF office tried to keep control.
Official statements insisted on “collaboration” and “shared vision,” but insiders said communication turned cold.
Meetings got tense.
Invitations stopped.
And the word “union” started sounding less symbolic and more literal.
The FFA didn’t make noise, but it didn’t have to.
Its existence alone was the loudest statement the league had faced since its creation.
The Moment the Glow Died
Until this point, the ELF had managed to maintain the illusion: a growing league, a united front, a family.
But April 2024 changed the tone forever.
This was no longer a startup league building dreams — it was a business trying to hold itself together while its tenants compared notes.
The Football Franchise Association marked the moment when control began to slip from the center.
When loyalty gave way to skepticism.
When expansion talk was replaced by negotiation talk.
And for the first time, the landlords in Hamburg had reason to worry — because the tenants had started reading their contracts.
April 2024 — The ELF’s honeymoon officially ended in a hallway somewhere in Europe.
When the tenants unionize, the landlord should read the lease — twice.
