For the first time, the Optima Sports Park in Schwäbisch Hall will be the scene of an active final on Saturday (5 p.m.). The Unicorns want to defend their title in the CEFL, expecting the reigning Italian champions, who will not be able to defend their national title, however, as they lost 14:19 in the semifinals to Guelfi Firenze last weekend. Thus, the CEFL final is the last game of the season for Parma. The Unicorns, four-time German champions, are just at the beginning of the German Football League (GFL) season.
The Unicorns coaching crew around head coach Jordan Neuman spent hours viewing and analyzing video footage of the opponent. The CEFL semifinals were of particular interest, as the Parma Panthers defeated the Calanda Broncos in Chur 21:9. “Parma is a very strong defensive team,” says the Haller head coach, classifying the opponent. “Of their eleven starters on defense, seven or eight are Italian internationals.” After all, Italy is the reigning European football champion. Offensively, the Parma Panthers mainly rely on the running game. Quarterback Brook Bolles is of particular importance because he is very mobile and does not hesitate to run himself. The Haller Defense has to adapt to this.
Strict foreigner regulations
The anticipation among the Hallers is enormous. “It is now our fifth European Cup game. So we’ve already gained some experience,” reports head coach Jordan Neuman. He wouldn’t emphasize that if there wasn’t a reason for it. Because in the CEFL there is a different, much stricter foreigner regulation than in the GFL. The term “foreigners regulation” is almost misleading. Because it’s more about players with college experience. These are usually Americans. A maximum of three are allowed on the matchday roster, but only if both teams list three of those players in their provisional 55-man roster, which both teams reported last Tuesday. This squad must then be reduced to 45 men by the final.
Although the Panthers have three US players with college experience in their ranks, one of them was injured in the semifinals against Florence. The Italians reported only two, so it is clear that the Unicorns can only play two players with college experience.
Quarterback Reilly Hennessey, who has Italian ancestors and therefore also has an Italian passport, has a permanent seat. He knows Parma well, having played there before moving to Hall. The same goes for tackle Alessandro Vergani and cornerback Giuseppe Della Vecchia. For tactical reasons, Jordan Neuman does not want to reveal who will take second place with college experience.
The Unicorns are expecting a close game, similar to the semifinals against French representative Flash de la Courneuve, whose final result of 35:21 does not really reflect the course of the game. In contrast to last year, when the Unicorns had to play away at the Swarco Raiders Tirol in the final, this time they enjoy home advantage. “That’s something special. We’re hoping for a lot of spectators and, above all, for loud spectators,” says Jordan Neuman. At least the former seems to be coming true, after all, almost all tickets for the main grandstand have already been sold in advance.
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More than 2000 fans will probably follow the European Cup final in the sports park. The CEFL final will also be broadcast live on the sportdeutschland.tv platform.
European competition
Die Central European Football (CEFL) is a privately organized European Cup that has become increasingly important over the years. It was founded in 2006 under the name Southeastern European League of American Football and was initially a competition for teams from Serbia and Slovenia. Gradually, more and more teams were added, so that eventually the name was changed to CEFL. In 2022, 13 teams, including nine national champions, took part in the CEFL.
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