A European Showdown in Krefeld - IFAF Final Four

After two years, the European Championship comes to a close with the first ever Final Four in Germany.

The home team, after ten years, will host a huge event in continental Tackle Football, coming back after a ban arrived as a result of problems with the old IFAF management. They will face Austria, the defending champions and the favourites to win it all.

In the other semifinal, Finland, the National Team with more continental wins than any other country, will face Italy, champions in 2021 and third in 2023, confirming themselves as a powerhouse of American Football after the 2020 stoppage.

Krefeld, a city in North-Rhine/Westphalia, the most populated land of Germany, will be the stage of this huge date with history in European Football.

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Germany: Ten years in the making

Ten years ago, Germany was one of the best teams in American Football in our continent. They were the defending champions after beating Austria in 2014 (30-27 in Vienna), getting their third title, the second in a row, but then, things with IFAF, then divided in two between Paris and New York, went south.

After being excluded in 2018, not participating in 2021 and winning the Group B Euros in 2023, the Men in Black were back in business, and it showed during last year’s group phase, winning big against Great Britain (49-11) and Sweden (42-6), coming back to the semis for the first time in eleven years.

Stuttgart Surge QB2 Lars Heidrich will take the duties on offense with a great core of receivers ready to battle on the field against the best defenders in Europe.

Another player to watch is Roman Wahrheit, a former Ottawa RedBlacks and Munich Ravens OL, as he will come out of retirement to play in the Final Four with the German National Team.

DL Berend Grube, a former ELF All Star in 2021, will strengthen a defensive line that will have to work twice as hard against three of the best offenses on the continent with the help of some strong Linebackers, like the Seifert Brothers, Luca and Paul.

Former Schwabisch Hall Unicorns HC Christian Rothe, arrived to replace Shuah Fatah, who returned to ELF in the middle of some disagreements between the German federation and the European League, will have a very big task ahead of him, that of bringing Germany back to the top of European Tackle Football again.

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Austria: Can they go back to back?

After years of losing finals and suffering at senior level, Austria has finally done it by winning the final against Finland in 2023, winning their first title in National Team’s long history.

After losing in 2014 and 2018, the Red and White side, also thanks to their great Under 19 generation, eight junior titles and counting, has made history, but they are back for more.

Austria has dominated their group, conceiding only three points during the first phase and winning against Hungary (58-3) and Serbia (78-0) in dominating fashion.

The offense can count on Nico Hrouda, Vikings QB in ELF this year after some years in the Austrian Football League gaining the MVP Trophy in 2024, on Fabian Eder, a promising WR from Vienna, but mostly on the returning Sandro Platzgummer, as he will wear the red and white jersey for the first time since Autumn 2024, when it was announced his return in the National Team.

The best defense of the tournament doesn’t need presentations, as a huge shoutout goes to all of the players involved. The question remains clear: Can they keep it up in this Final Four?

Max Sommer, the Head Coach of the Austrian National Team, was on the sideline as the RB Coach the last time they faced Germany, but things are different now and Austria will try its best to go back to back and write more history.

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Italy: A blue sky spiral in the grey

For the third time in a row, Italy will battle for the European Championship in Tackle Football, demonstrating themselves as a solid team when it comes to deciding moments.

After a Championship in 2021 and a third place in 2023, the Blue Team will try to continue their good streak.

After a big win in Switzerland (45-0), the Azzurri suffered against Denmark in Milan, but a TD at the siren have them a 28-27 win, the first place in their group and the opportunity to fight for the European title.

Some of the players that won the Flag Football European Championship in Paris will also play in this Final Four.

Luke Zahradka, a former Dolphins Ancona, Seamen Milano and Frankfurt Galaxy QB now playing for Frogs Legnano and MVP of the french tournament, will be the main threat for opposing teams, just like Tamsir Seck, who has played for both Rhinos Milano and Hamburg Sea Devils this year, on the running side and Panthers’ Simone Alinovi, MVP of the National Flag Football Champioship, and Jordan Bouah, a veteran in European Football, on the receiving one.

On the defensive side of the ball, one of the best players of the 2025 season, Andrea Fantin (Aquile Ferrara), first in Interceptions in the Italian Football League, will wear the Blue shirt just like his teammate Diego Rinaldi.

There will be some Import Players and former IFL players that will play for the Italian National Team, like Ryan Minniti, former Panthers player now in Germany with Potsdam Royals, or Guelfi Firenze Frankie Stola, who helped the team from Tuscany reaching a perfect season.

This will also be the official last dance for some players, like Alessandro Vergani, one of the captains of the team, as he will hang his helmet and shoulder pads after announcing his retirement before winning the ELF title with Stuttgart Surge.

Brian Michitti, a former player in Italy and now Panthers Parma Head Coach, will complete his first tournament as the Sideline Director of the Italian national team, and his expectations are high for this one.

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Finland: Will the legacy continue?

The Finnish National Team is the most winning in European Football with five titles under the belt, but their last championship was a long time ago.

In fact, twenty five years ago they beat Germany in the final of the Euros played at home, but since then, the nordic team has never managed to come back to glory, falling short twice, in 2001 (19-7 against Germany) and in 2023 (28-0 against Austria).

Finland finished their adventure in Group B undefeated, managing to beat Czech Republic 28-6 and France 10-9 at home in the last game of the group.

Former Kuopio Steelers, Wasa Royals, Potsdam Royals and Prague Lions Safety Peter Lundstrom hasn’t played football for so long after going to the United States trying to get some College Football scholarships, but his quickness and hard hitting core will be important for a team that needs great performances on the defensive side of the ball.

With him, Linebacker Timi Nuikka, 2023 Defensive Rookie of The Year in the ELF for the Wroclaw Panthers and this year playing in Vienna with the Vikings losing the Championship Game against the Stuttgart Surge, with a Porvoo Butchers stay in the middle, is another guy to watch out, just like fellow DL Chris Mulumba, ELF Champion this year in Stuttgart, a versatile player who can play multiple roles on defense.

On offense, all eyes are on WR Luukas Eerola from Maple League defending champions Porvoo Butchers, one of the best local young talents who has already played against Italy in the Junior Group B European Championship in Bologna, in 2022, with Finland winning the Championship Game 33-23, and on the QB, Ambro Urjansson, from the Helsinki Roosters, one of the most solid players in the land starting for the grandfather team of Finland with great stats during last season, confirming himself as one of the best in the land.

First Down Magazine thanks Lukas Geissler, Pasquale Basile, Boris Konovalov and Eric Antler-Bauroth for this preview.