News You Can Use - IFL Edition #4
- Pasquale Basile
- Nov 6, 2025
- 7 min read
In this fourth installment of updates related to Italian football, the focus is on the European Championship which saw the Blue Team among the participants in the Final Four and the first rumors about the 2026 season.
As we are getting closer and closer to the start of the season, here’s some more about the tricolore movement, and so much has happened all around Italian Football during this month, so let’s get into it with a little bit of tomato sauce on top.
Panthers fly high in Italian Flag Football
The Parma Panthers have won the Italian Flag Football Championship at the start of the month of October beating the Milano Mad Dogs 27-8.
The emilian team, named Nador (Ducks in their native language), has ended the Final Eight played in Ferrara undefeated, winning against Trento Thunders (46-27), Arona 65ers (35-34) and Warriors Bologna (38-32) in the Group Phase, and then Lazio Marines (33-28) in the semifinal.
The team has then dominated the final thanks to a great performance by Simone Alinovi, European Champion with Italy at the Flag Euros in France, who has scored 4 TDs, including a Pick Six, while Damian Samb has scored a late TD for the Milan team, losing their second straight final after the 2024 loss against the 65ers. Alinovi, thanks to his performance throughout the two days event, has been named MVP.
The Panthers have won their first title in team’s history and are now the second team ever in Italian Flag Football winning at least a championship both in Men’s/Open category and in Women’s league after Refoli (2023) and Ranzide Trieste (2012-2013-2015-2016) were able to do so.
Female Panthers team wins at the Swedish Pumpkin Bowl
Parma Panthers have also won the Women’s Tournament at the Pumpkin Bowl played on the weekend of November 1st and 2nd in Gothenburg, Sweden, beating Arlanda Jets in the final 35-7.
This was also a tournament full of italian teams. Also participating were the Sherogs, a mix of players from Hogs Reggio Emilia and Sheroes Milano, Fenici Ferrara, the Aquile’s Women’s team, and a selection of players from italian brand Snatch-In called Witches.
Some of the players have also played for the Nador/Panthers team, winners in the Men/Mixed Italian Championship, so can celebrate a double tournament win for their Emilian side.
Italy takes bronze at the IFAF European Championship in Germany
Italy has finished the European Championship Final Four in Germany with a third straight podium. The Blue Team ended the tournament in third place after beating home side Germany in the third place game.
Italy faced Finland in a even semifinal. Bad weather and defenses on a great day were the leit motiv of the game, as Finland scored first on a four yard run by Tuukka Lehtonen. A 27 yard Field Goal by Anssi Ruohonen scored before half time closed the first half.
First, Italy scored a Safety at the start of the final quarter, then former Panthers and now Potsdam Royals player Ryan Minniti scores a running TD, and the Coaching Staff decides to go for two, but the conversion is no good and the Blue Team loses the game.
In the Bronze Medal Game Italy was forced to play against Germany, returning after eleven years to the European Championship after winning the Group B Euros two years ago. The home team scores first on a Heiko Bals 5 yard run, but then a reception by Carlo Tassan ties the game at the end of the first quarter.
Another German TD was scored during the second quarter, as Lars Heidrich finds Niklas Schumm in the end zone, then Italy’s Kicker Matteo Felli scores a 40 yard Field Goal before the end of the first half.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Blue Team goes up on a TD by Skorpions’ Matteo Mozzanica, ending a 90 yard drive in a perfect way. Florian Finke has the opportunity to tie the game with fourty seconds left, but his 43 yard Field Goal goes wide to the left.
This is the third straight podium for Italy in the Tackle European Championship after winning it all in 2021 and winning the Bronze Medal Game in 2023, both times against Sweden away from home.
This was also the Last Dance for three players: Alessandro Vergani, after winning the ELF Title with Stuttgart Surge, has already annonced that the Final Four was his last tournament before hanging his helmet to the wall. He also annouced that will become a father for the first time, so we wish him all the best for this milestone in his life.
Another player retiring from football is Kicker Matteo Felli, one of the strongest legs in our movement. The former Panthers Parma and Seamen Milano (ELF) member, after playing soccer, joined the Emilian team in 2016, winning both the italian title and the Euros final with Italy in 2021. After playing in the ELF in 2023 and 2024, he came back to the Panthers in 2025, his final season.
The final player retiring, this time from the Blue Team, is another Panthers player and veteran, Giovanni Caccialupi, as he will continue with his club, but will not be called again for the Blue Team.
The game also counted as the first act of the Gridiron Nations Championship, a tournament that will also see Canada on the field. Italy will now face the canadians on November 9th in Milan with the possibility to take home the trophy.
For the record, Austria, for the second time in a row, won the title defeating 27-0 Finland in the Championship Game, winning their second title ever.
FIDAF and Rome City Institute confirm a second edition of the IFL Draft
After last year’s success, FIDAF and the Rome City Institute have confirmed that the 2025 IFL Draft will officially take place in November.
Cooper Heisey, the Head Coach of the Football Department of Rome City Institute, has announced in a video posted on Social Media that on November 21st there will be the Combine, while one week later the players selection will take place.
Like last year, team record will decide the order, while Radio Sideline understands that there will be two rounds instead of one, but that is not confirmed as of now.
It is also unknown if the players will not occupy a Import spot on the Active Roster like last year.
Eight teams particiapted in the first ever IFL Draft in 2024, and some have decided to not take part, giving up their choice.
Between the players who made a huge impact we remember Aquile Ferrara One Williams, one of the main characters of last season, and Dolphins Ancona Parker Richardson, the first ever Draft Player to reach the Italian Bowl.
Players and Coaches movements
Cocai Terraferma, competing in Nine Football League last year, have named former turkish player Bora Inan as their new Head Coach.
A former LB, RB and Safety, will get his first taste of American Football abroad after coaching the Yasar University Admirals. He also has a background in Basketball, as he is coaching a youth team in Turkey.
Last year, the team from Veneto has ended their 9FL season on a deceptioning 0-6 record, out of the playoffs in its first year in FIDAF Football.
Former Barcelona Dragons GM Bart Iaccarino has been confirmed as the Head Coach of IFL2 team Trappers Cecina
The neapolitan coach, with a large trajectory in Italian and Spanish Football, will continue his tenure as the HC and GM of the tuscanian team for the third year in a row.
Last year the Trappers ended their season with a second place in Group A on a 5-3 record and losing 35-0 in the Wild Card Round against Reapers Torino away from home, so this year the expectations inside the team are high.
Jordan Bouah has been announced as a coach for his former team Gladiatori Roma in junior and senior seasons in 2025-26
The Italian WR, who has played for Rhinos Milano, Rhein Fire and Stuttgart Surge, winning the ELF title this year, has started his journey in Rome before playing High School and College Football in the United States.
He will not retire, as we know, as many players have double duties in our country, both in coaching and playing.
Legionari Roma have signed veteran QB Elvis Tarroni to their roster for the 2025 Nine Football League
A long time face in Italian Football, he was one of the players of the National Team playng the first World Cup of American Football in 1999, and since then he traveled all around our country to mostly play in teams from Center Italy.
He last played for Trappers Cecina, a team from Tuscany which took part in the IFL2, the Second Division, last year, but his trajectory includes stays with Lazio Marines, Guelfi Firenze and Gladiatori Roma.
Giaguari Torino have announced their first Import Player for the 2026 season in Ethan Greenfield
The former Kuopio Steelers and Helsinki Roosters Running Back, also Offensive Player of the Year in the 2024 finnish Maple League, will be a huge weapon on the offensive side of the Black and Yellow team.
He was the All Purpose leader in yards per game last season in the whole league, scoring 11 TDs in eight games and totalising 1392 yards (1102 rushing and 266 receiving), 174 yards per game, the best in the 2025 season.
Giaguari have also lost their QB Evan Lewandovski, who has signed for the Salina Liberty of the National Arena League, so they’ll also need a new director on the field.
Former Frogs Legnano HC Tony Addona will be the new Offensive Coordinator for ligurian team Pirates Savona
The blue and white offense has struggled last year under Steve Smyte as OC, including an unfortunate series of injuries that have hit the most important department on offense, that of the QBs.
Addona, also a former Seamen Milano OC in the European League of Football, will join the Coaching Staff led by Head Coach Alfredo Giuso Delaria for the 2026 season.
The Pirates have gained their right to play in the 2026 Italian Football League after winning the Relegation Playoff game against Lions Bergamo, but FIDAF has not announced yet the teams playing in next year’s championship, so it is still unclear if the Pirates will be participating.
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