After a season of hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Sportklub Central European Football League is coming back with a bang for European Championship 2021. Even though last season wasn’t played, there will be a substantial advancement in this one.

In a year of the quantum leap, CEFL Championship will unite the whole Europe, including teams from Germany! We’ve worked on this in good faith with all actors and football fans will be delighted and thrilled to learn that it has finally materialized.

For a long while top teams haven’t been playing together under common player licensing rules in a pan-European event. CEFL Championship 2021 will correct that, incorporating some of the best continental teams from the dominant football national leagues in one single competition.

New season will bring together eleven high-ranked teams, 8 national champions and 3 vice-champions. Ranking will respect teams’ accomplishments from 2019, and 2020 for those whose national seasons have been played last year:

1. Swarco Raiders Tirol, Austrian 2019 champions, CEFL 2019 champions, ECTC 2019 champions
2. Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, German 2019 vice-champions
3. Dacia Vienna Vikings, Austrian 2019 vice-champions, ECTC 2019 finalists, Austrian 2020 champions
4. Calanda Broncos, Swiss 2019 champions, CEFL 2019 finalists
5. Thonon Black Panthers, French 2019 champions
6. Milan Seamen, Italian 2019 champions
7. Badalona Dracs, Spanish 2019 champions
8. Copenhagen Towers, Danish 2019 vice-champions
9. Carlstad Crusaders, Swedish 2020 champions
10. Kragujevac Wild Boars, Serbian 2019 champions
11. Moscow Spartans, Russian 2020 champions

The competition system which was planned for season 2020 will continue to be used this year. A modified cup scheme will take into account teams’ ranking and geographic location while attempting to be economically viable.

Highest-ranked 4 teams will be seeded, meaning they will skip the first round and have home field advantage afterwards. Since there are 11 teams in competition, Milan Seamen will be the last team to have a bye in the first round. Other 6 teams in 3 different regions of the continent will play single elimination games.

Playing schedule was adjusted taking into account team’s national league obligations. This has led to the game dates being somewhat uneven after the first round:

First Round

24 April Thonon Black Panthers – Badalona Dracs
24 April Copenhagen Towers – Calrstad Crusaders
24 April Kragujevac Wild Boars – Moscow Spartans
bye Milan Seamen

Second Round

15 May Swarco Raiders Tirol – Milan Seamen
15 May Dacia Vienna Vikings – Kragujevac Wild Boars/Moscow Spartans
22 May Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns – Copenhagen Towers/Carlstad Crusaders
29 May Calanda Broncos – Thonon Black Panthers/Badalona Dracs

Semifinals

29 May Winners of second round games hosted by the Raiders and the Vikings
12 June Winners of second round games hosted by the Unicorns and the Broncos

Higher-ranked teams in either matchup of the semifinals will be hosts.

The final game of CEFL Championship 2021 will be played on 26 June and hosting will be awarded to one of the finalists.

Of course, precautions will be taken to provide for Covid-safety this year and protect players’ health. Let’s hope the pandemic will subside by spring so we can all think no more of lockdowns or any force-majeure situations where games get canceled.

One thing’s for sure, new season will definitely present us with more than a few excitements.