He is facing his biggest game as league manager.
For many, he is simply THE football expert in Germany, but Patrick Esume (50) has another calling: As Commissioner, he takes care of the sporting affairs of the European League of Football (ELF).
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The ELF is about to conclude its fourth season, with the Championship Game between the Vienna Vikings and Defending champion Rhein Fire. Crazy: This year’s football highlight will take place on September 22nd in the Giga-Arena in Schalke! BILD users have the chance to purchase tickets for the ELF final here with a 20 percent discount.
With BILDplus you also have the opportunity to win VIP tickets for the final. Three of the six BILDplus winners will be randomly selected on site and will have the unique opportunity to score a field goal from 50 yards during the halftime show in the GAZI Kicking Challenge and win 100,000 euros!
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In an exclusive interview, “Coach” Esume talks about the development of the ELF, but of course also gives an outlook on the NFL season that has just started.
BILD: How satisfied is the commissioner with the development of his league after almost four seasons?
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Patrick Esume: “The development in terms of sport is really surprising. Every time I think to myself, what has happened in just the fourth season on a sporting level, I would never have expected it. Regardless of whether it is about coaching or play on the field. Yes, there was a 90-0, but there always has to be someone who is at the end, but the reasons for that are more to be found on the business side. The level of football in the ELF has simply increased absurdly, I myself would never have thought it would.”
How do you determine that?
“I’ve been playing football for a few days now, and I’ve compared it to American football, but I’m also familiar with home-grown football. When I see how complex and fluid the game has become – it looks a lot like NFL football in parts, just slower. It’s really impressive in terms of the complexity, the plays, the choice of defense.”
What about the players? The ELF is not just made up of professionals.
“The players are more athletic, they are much better prepared. In the first year, it might have been possible for players who only played for talent. Now, many players have an off-season program, go to the gym, have a strength and conditioning coach. Of course, you hope for this development, but you are surprised at how quickly it happens. And also at how easy coaching has become in many franchises.”
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Who immediately comes to mind?
“Jim Tomsula at Rhein Fire, but also Chris Calaycay at the Vienna Vikings or Jordan Neuman from the Stuttgart Surge, both without an NFL background. Or John Shoop from the Sea Devils, Brandon Noble in Madrid – they already have a lot of experience in the league.”
If the NFL is the premier league, what is the ELF?
“We are still a long way from that. People forget how young we are as a league; even at association level, the sport has only existed in Germany for around 40 years. And we, the ELF, have been around since 2021, we are at the very beginning.”
Nevertheless, the league is moving to larger stadiums.
“The jump this year that the entire league made was a risk, but it paid off. European sports fans are almost a bit tired of live sports this year. We had the European Championship, the Olympics, now the Paralympics – and then we still had 25,000 spectators on the day of the European Championship final at an ELF game in Hamburg. We had the Sea Devils in Bremen in front of 14,000 spectators, Rhein Fire regularly plays in front of 12, 13, 14,000 spectators. These are numbers far above the German Bowl in previous years.”
The final will now take place in one of Germany’s sports temples, the Veltins Arena in Schalke.
“The final at Schalke is something special, that’s for sure. Because it’s the next step into the really big stadiums. 35,000 tickets have already been sold, I hope we can reach 40 or 45,000. That’s a number that makes me say: Wow! Then we would have improved by 33 percent compared to last year in Duisburg. We mustn’t forget where we came from.”
How far are ELF players from the NFL?
“There have certainly been players from the ELF who have made the leap. First and foremost Marcel Dabo (Indianapolis Colts, previously Stuttgart Surge, ed.)who left right after the first year.”
Which of the current players has what it takes to play in the NFL?
“If I had to say I had to throw someone into the NFL this year, and it shouldn’t be obvious that he doesn’t normally play in the NFL, then it would be Glen Toonga (running back at Rhein Fire, ed.). He’s the whole package: athleticism, explosiveness, balance, toughness. Yes, he has a good offensive line, but honestly, he’s also his own blocker, a really big guy. He’s got incredible top speed too. If I had to put someone in the NFL today, it would be him.”
Glen Toonga of Rhein Fire is considered a hot MVP candidate in the ELF
Photo: picture alliance / Eibner-Pressefoto
What are Rhein Fire, Vikings or Surge doing right that they are at the top so often?
“Continuity in the coaching position. A good head coach is so much more than just a trainer, he is the figurehead and is also important for recruiting good players, for example. The salary cap means that everyone has the same financial opportunities, so if I can then say, ‘here you will be coached by XY’, then that is extremely important for recruitment. The head coach is the linchpin.”
Are ELF players more serious athletes than Bundesliga players?
“Not across the board, there are footballers who are super athletic, but there are also some who come through more talent. That’s how it is in the ELF too. But the top athletes in the ELF would beat the top athletes in the Bundesliga – athletically, not in football of course. But if the top athletes in the ELF compete against the top athletes in the Bundesliga in terms of explosiveness, speed, change of direction, strength – the ELF athletes would be ahead.”
Who are you thinking of?
“When I think of Marcel Dabo: 10-second time for 100 meters, bench press 20 times 100 kilos, and also pretty explosive on the field… At 20! We called him Quadzilla because he also had incredible quadriceps. On top of that, 4.4 seconds for 40 yards, and he ran NFL times with short changes of direction… I don’t think there is a Bundesliga player who can do that, and we have a few of them. But we have different requirements when it comes to athleticism.”
One might ask: What is the difference to the NFL?
“You have to watch an NFL game. Live. Not on TV, not in the stands, but on the field. And then pay attention to the speed, to the physicality. That’s where the best athletes on our planet are playing, in all sizes. These are forces of nature colliding.”
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Speaking of the NFL: Who is your Super Bowl pick?
“The Chiefs. I know, sounds boring. But as long as they have Pat Mahomes, they will always be among the favorites. The only one who might be in the running now, in terms of age, is Travis Kelce. But they are the hot favorite with the 49ers.”
How much hope do we give to the German Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Lions?
“They are close behind, the Super Bowl entry has to happen. He was briefly the highest paid receiver, the demands are completely different now. Anything under 1200 yards and 90 catches is a disappointment. Detroit has paid all of its top players properly, now it has to happen. Boom or bust – Super Bowl participation or stuck again…”
Based on the reporter’s personal preference, we would have liked to hear the Steelers here, but that’s probably not entirely realistic.
“The Steelers can actually be a dark horse in a very strong AFC North. But the NFC West, especially the LA Rams, should not be underestimated either, as they only narrowly lost to the Lions in the playoffs.”
