Have you heard of the IFL 2 and 9FL?

Italian football isn't just about the Italian Football League. The two lower divisions have provided just as much entertainment and plenty of surprises in the three months of the regular season just concluded.

Between the movement's fallen nobles, developing local projects, and countless hidden talents, the two leagues have kept pace with the main league, successfully providing thrills to both insiders and fans across the country.

In this article, we explore the journeys of the teams that have made it, those who haven't, and those with great ambitions. After all, the Road to Ferrara applies to them too.

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IFL2 – Six Teams with an IFL Vision

After some roster changes, ten teams ultimately took part in this year's championship, divided into two groups of five teams each.

In Group A, the match was a head-to-head between the Seamen Milano, one of the most successful teams in Italy, returning to the FIDAF-sanctioned leagues after a disappointing experience in the European League of Football with a new roster and many young players, and the Thunders Trento, champions of the Nine Football League in 2024 and the sole representative of Trentino Alto-Adige after the closure of a great team, the Giants Bolzano, which had been inactive for some time and closed its doors in 2025.

Both teams finished the season with a 6-2 record, but the Seamen reached the semifinals thanks to the superior points difference in their head-to-head matches.

The first leg was played on March 7th during Week 3, with the Seamen beating the Thunders 14-0 at home, while the Trentino team took revenge on April 18th, during Week 8, with a 21-14 victory in Trento. Despite this, Seamen secured first place thanks to a 28-21 overall record between the two matches.

The final playoff spot went to Reapers Torino, who finished the regular season with a 3-5 record, matching the Pirates Albisola Superiore, who participated in the IFL last year but decided to return to the Second Division this year.

Of the three wins achieved by Riccardo Merola's team this year, two of them came against the Ligurian team: a 24-7 away win on the first day of the season, on February 22nd, and a 13-10 overtime victory on the seventh week of the season, on April 11th.

Bengals Brescia rounded out the first group standings, finishing the year with two wins and six losses, beating the Reapers and Pirates during the season.

In Group B, and in the entire IFL2, there's still one team in contention for a Perfect Season: the Daemons Monza & Brianza, who won all eight of their games in the first half of the season and will have the privilege, along with the Seamen, of skipping the first round and playing directly in the semifinals.

The two teams that will begin their journey toward the finals in early July are the Saints Padova, last year’s runner up, who confirmed this year's high expectations by finishing the year with six wins and two losses, and the Trappers Cecina, who feature some of Italy's football talents, such as Sergio Marzullo, the future QB of the Italian national team, and others who will complete the backbone of the AFLE Firenze Red Lions, whose General Manager Bart Iaccarino is also Head Coach of the Pisan team. They finished the year with a 4-4 record and third place in their group.

The defending champions, Elephants Catania, had a disappointing season. After bringing the title back to Southern Italy for the first time in years and breaking a more than twenty-year curse of losing only finals, they failed to repeat their feat in 2026, finishing with a 2-6 record, still better than the Blue Storms Busto Arsizio, in their second year in the second division, which, however, ended winless in eight games.

The IFL2 playoffs will begin on June 6-7 with the Wild Card Round, which will pit the second-place team in Group A, Thunders Trento, against the third-place team in Group B, Trappers Cecina. The first game will see a semifinal against Daemons Monza e Brianza, while the second game will see Saints Padova, second in Group B, take on Reapers Torino, third in Group A. The winner of this match will travel to Milan to face the Seamen.

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IFL2 2026 – Standings and Bracket

Group A

1. Seamen Milano 6-2*

2. Thunders Trento 6-2

3. Reapers Torino 3-5*

4. Pirates Albisola Superiore 3-5

5. Bengals Brescia 2-6

Group B

1. Daemons Monza e Brianza 8-0

2. Saints Padova 6-2

3. Trappers Cecina 4-4

4. Elephants Catania 2-6

5. Blue Storms Busto Arsizio 0-8

Wild Card Round (June 6-7)

Thunders Trento (2A) vs. Trappers Cecina (3B)

Saints Padova (2B) vs. Reapers Torino (3A)

Semifinals (June 13-14)

Seamen Milano vs. Saints Padova/Reapers Torino

Daemons Monza e Brianza vs. Thunders Trento/Trappers Cecina

Silver Bowl 2026 – July 4 (Paolo Mazza Stadium – Ferrara)

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Nine Football League – Emotions Across the Country

Unlike the second division, the third, which is played in 9-on-9 format, features 26 teams from across Italy, divided into groups of four (B-C-D-E) or five (A-F) teams based on geographic proximity.

At the end of the regular season, three teams are aiming for a Perfect Season. First up are Navy Seals Bari, first in Group B. After representing the South Conference in last year's final, losing 40-0 to the Cavaliers Castelfranco, they're back with interest, seeking revenge for the heavy defeat that derailed their perfect season last year.

Another undefeated team is Crusaders Cagliari, placed in Group C along with the teams from Rome. Joe Tricario, former head coach of the Lazio Marines, and Lorenzo Piva, former QB of the reigning league champions, the Cavaliers Castelfranco, were among the key guys of the Sardinian team's season. The team recently participated in the unveiling of Cagliari Calcio's away jersey for next season, inspired by American football jerseys.

The third and final team to remain perfect is the Honey Badgers Formigine, a major surprise, having gone from 3-3 last year to 6-0 for the 2026 season, which will see them among the protagonists of the upcoming postseason.

As for the situation in the other groups, where only the top two advance to the playoffs, the final standings have provided several surprises and thrills.

In Group A, Wolverines Piacenza, a repeat performance (5-1 last year), and Gorillas Varese (1-5 in 2025), another surprise, advanced. Blitz Ciriè, who lost to the Wolverines on the final day, were knocked out at the last minute.

In Group B, the same as the Navy Seals, United Palermo prevailed over Eagles Salerno thanks to head-to-head records despite both teams finishing with a 3-3 record. The 27-0 first-leg scoreline on March 22nd affected the long-distance clash between the two teams, as the 26-20 win on May 17th wasn't enough for the Campania team.

The debutants Mavericks Roma, born from the ashes of the Grizzlies, a historic team that also played in the IFL and which was formed not without much controversy in the environment, made it through Group C, the same as the Crusaders Cagliari, who with their 3-3 final record beat both Gladiatori Roma (2-4), who returned to the field after nine years, and Legionari Roma, finalists of the South Conference last year and who ended the season with a disappointing 1-5.

Speaking of the Mavericks, eleven of their players have been suspended by the FIDAF due to an illegal transfer from their former team, Grizzlies Roma.

The hearing, which was scheduled for June 22nd, has been moved up to May 28th, just before the roman team's away game against Chiefs Ravenna.

In Group D, alongside Honey Badgers Formigine, TFU Pisa, a very active team in Tuscany, can aspire to a spot in the Ferrara final thanks to their 4-2 final record.

Muli Trieste, another team that has improved significantly, going from 2-4 last year to 5-1 in the recently concluded regular season, advance to Group E. Joining them are the reigning Nine Football League champions, Cavaliers Castelfranco, who will be in the playoffs thanks to two head-to-head wins against Kraken FVG (a combination of two Friuli-Venezia Giulia teams, Sentinels Isonzo and Leoni Basiliano, two teams that have won the 9FL in the past), despite their shared 3-3 record at the end of the year.

In the final group, Chiefs Ravenna finish top of the table with a final record of 5-1, while Redskins Verona, who finished the year 4-2 along with Doves Bologna, will move to the Playoffs. Their 20-7 win on April 11 (Week 7), the only game played between the two teams, will decide their final standings.

At the end of the Regular Season, the twelve remaining teams are divided into two Conferences (North and South) of six, with the two best teams decided based on their record and the weight of their group, a coefficient established by FIDAF based on the overall final ranking of the previous season.

The two best teams will advance directly to the semifinals, while the teams ranked third through sixth will begin their campaign in the Wild Card Round.

The top two seeds in the North Conference are Crusaders Cagliari and Muli Trieste, who qualified directly for the semifinals, while the two Wild Card Round games will be Gorillas Varese vs. Redskins Verona and Wolverines Piacenza vs. Cavaliers Castelfranco.

In the South Conference, the top two seeds are Honey Badgers Formigine and Navy Seals Bari, respectively, and the conference semifinals feature two games: TFU Pisa vs. United Palermo and Chiefs Ravenna vs. Mavericks Roma.

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Nine Football League 2026 - Standings and Bracket

Group A

1. Wolverines Piacenza 5-1*

2. Gorillas Varese 5-1

3. Blitz Cirié 4-2

4. Rams Milano 1-5

5. Rebels Lugano 0-6

Group B

1. Navy Seals Bari 6-0

2. United Palermo 3-3*

3. Eagles Salerno 3-3

4. Achei Crotone 0-6

Group C

1. Crusaders Cagliari 6-0

2. Mavericks Roma 3-3

3. Gladiatori Roma 2-4

4. Legionari Roma 1-5

Group D

1. Honey Badgers Formigine 6-0

2. TFU Pisa 4-2

3. Red Jackets Sarzana 2-4

4. White Tigers Massa 0-6

Group E

1. Muli Trieste 5-1

2. Cavaliers Castelfranco 3-3*

3. Kraken FVG 3-3

4. Cocai TerraFerma 1-5

Group F

1. Chiefs Ravenna 5-1

2. Redskins Verona 4-2*

3. Doves Bologna 4-2

4. Titans Romagna 2-4

5. Hurricanes Vicenza 0-6

Wild Card Round – June 6-7

• North Conference

Gorillas Varese vs Redskins Verona

Wolverines Piacenza vs Cavaliers Castelfranco

• South Conference

TFU Pisa vs United Palermo

Chiefs Ravenna vs Mavericks Roma

Conference Semifinals – June 13-14

• North Conference

Cagliari Crusaders vs. Gorillas Varese/Redskins Verona

Muli Trieste vs. Wolverines Piacenza/Cavaliers Castelfranco

• South Conference

Honey Badgers Formigine vs. TFU Pisa/United Palermo

Navy Seals Bary vs. Chiefs Ravenna/Mavericks Roma

Conference Finals – June 20-21

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Nine Bowl 2026 – July 5 (Paolo Mazza Stadium – Ferrara)

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