Europe’s Top 20 – Week of August 14th, 2014

This is the Top 20 for August 14, 2014.

Seasons are winding down and many countries have finished. Nevertheless, the rankings are affected every week. This week, the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions proved that they are the class of the German league beating the Cologne Falcons soundly 49-13. They deserve to be number one in Europe. They are simply playing another level of football right now. Cologne has fallen in the rankings. The Schwabisch Hall Unicorns have also stepped up their game and are on the verge of cracking the top five.

Likewise in Sweden, the Carlstad Crusaders are in a class of their own and have now moved up a spot. In the United Kingdom, the London Warriors have been playing outstanding football and are far and away the best team in the league. They have allowed only 19 points against in eight games while scoring 454.

We welcome your opinions and suggestions. You may not like the changes and have a different idea. Or you don’t agree at all. But let us know. Send us an email. If coaches wish to contribute, by all means do so. In brackets, we have added each team’s overall record, including IFAF, EFAF and transcontinental play.

If you have more information, along with comments or criticism, we welcome it. Please email me at [email protected] or [email protected].

RankingLogoClubOverall RecordCountrySince last week
1Braunschweig New Yorker Lions(9-2)GermanyTotally dominant in Germany. Trounced Cologne 49-13
2Raffeisen Vienna Vikings(9-3)AustriaSeason is over after capturing Austrian title
3Kiel Baltic Hurricanes(9-3)GermanyIdle this week.
4Dresden Monarchs(6-4)GermanyIdle this week.
5Swarco Raiders(8-3)AustriaLost but could have won in Austrian final against Vienna
6Schwabisch Hall Unicorns(10-2)GermanyThumped Rhein-Neckar Bandits 56-22 and have scored 555 points in Germany this year.
7Berlin Adler(7-4)GermanyIdle this week.
8Prague Black Panthers(13-6)Czech Rep.Won Czech league championship
9Stuttgart Scorpions(10-2)GermanyBarely scraped by Munich 21-20
10Vukovi Belgrade(16-3)SerbiaWon CEFL championship and had an amazing 16-3 season
11Carlstad Crusaders(8-1)SwedenEmbarrassed Arlanda 76-0. In a class of their own in Sweden
12Cologne Falcons(6-4)GermanyTrounced by the New Yorker Lions 49-13
13Helsinki Roosters(10-1)FinlandGot a scare but finally beat the Helsinki 69ers 31-25
14Marburg Mercenaries(5-2)GermanyBeat Saarland Hurricanes 21-12
15Danube Dragons(3-5)AustriaLost to Swarco in Austrian semis 34-0 to end their season.
16Thonon-les-bains Black Panthers(10-2-1)FranceLost in the Champions League semi-finals to Vukovi 19-7
17Basel Gladiators(12-2)SwitzerlandWon Swiss championship
18Copenhagen Towers(7-2)DenmarkUndefeated in Denmark, winning this week against Amager 31-6
19Milano Seamen(11-1)ItalyWon Italian championship handily
20London Warriors(8-2)UKClass of football in UK. No other team close.

Roger Kelly is an editor and a writer for AFI. A former PR Director the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League for 7 years, he now lives in Sweden writing about and scouting American Football throughout the world.