IFAF Europe has released the European American football clubs that will participate in the 2016 IFAF Europe Champions League tournament.
Thirteen teams will participate in the 2016 edition, ideally in three groups of three teams and one group of four, with the winners advancing to the Final Four.
IFAF Europe has stated that the full schedule and groupings will be released within the next week. There are a total of nine new new teams competing in the 2016 edition of the Champions League. Serbia is represented by two teams as is Turkey. Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Poland all have one team each competing.
Similar to the 2015 tournament, notably absent are teams from Germany. However the Danube Dragons from Austria will be playing.
Also missing are representatives from Norway, Holland, France, Spain, Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Finland and Switzerland.
Let’s review the clubs!
Click NEXT to the right.
[tps_title]Belgrade Vukovi (Serbia)[/tps_title]
The 2014/15 Champions League finalists, Vukovi is hoping that third time is a charm. They lost to the Carlstad Crusaders in last year’s final and to the Helsinki Roosters in 2014. Strangely, the club did not win a championship in 2015 and will be looking to improve on that.
[tps_title]Carlstad Crusaders (Sweden)[/tps_title]
The Crusaders had an outstanding season in 2015 winning the Champions League (beating Vukovi Belgrade) and their sixth straight Swedish title. If the team is intact in 2016 look for them to make another run at both titles.
[tps_title]Triangle Razorbacks (Denmark)[/tps_title]
The Razorbacks are defending Danish champions and went undefeated in 2015 in winning the title for the six time in their history. They will be looking to make it to the Champions League Final Four after watching as the Copenhagen Towers struggled in the previous two CL tournaments.
[tps_title]Lisboa Devils (Portugal)[/tps_title]
The Devils are entering their third year of existence and have set lofty goals. They made it to the Portuguese semifinals in 2015 and are aiming for the title. This is their first foray out into Europe.
[tps_title]Prague Lions (Czech Republic)[/tps_title]
A perennial contender in the Czech League, the Lions had a middling season in 2015 and will be looking to take another step up. This is the first time a team from the Czech Republic has competed in the Champions League.
[tps_title]Istanbul Bogazici Sultans (Turkey)[/tps_title]
The Sultans are the defending and three-time Turkish league champions and will be returning to the Champions League in 2016. They were eliminated in the group stage losing to both the Ljubjana Silverhawks and Vukovi Belgrade last year.
[tps_title]Danube Dragons (Austria)[/tps_title]
[tps_title]Istanbul Koc Rams (Turkey)[/tps_title]
The Koc Rams have been a top contender in the Turkish League for many years and lost the 2015 final to the Sultans. This is their first trip to the Champions League.
[tps_title]St. Petersburg Griffins (Russia)[/tps_title]
The Griffins are coming off a magical season defeating the Moscow Patriots for the Russian crown for the first time in their history. This is the first time a Russian team will compete in the Champions League.
[tps_title]Novi Sad Dukes (Serbia)[/tps_title]
The Novi Sad Dukes are the defending Serbian and CEFL champions. They knocked off the favored Vukovi Belgrade for the first time in their history in 2015 playing under new head coach Doug Adkins. This is their first time competing in the Champions League.
[tps_title]Milano Seamen (Italy)[/tps_title]
The two-time defending Italian champions will be playing in their second Champions League tournament in 2015. The Seamen were eliminated in the group stage in 2015 by tournament semi-finalists the Thonon Black Panthers in 2015.
[tps_title]Wroclaw Panthers (Poland)[/tps_title]
The Wroclaw Panthers are making their first entry in the 2016 Champions League tournament. The Panthers lost a heart-breaking final to the Polish champion the Gdynia Seahawks in 2015 and will be looking to improve.
[tps_title]Budapest Wolves (Hungary)[/tps_title]
The Wolves enter the Champions League tournament in 2016 as the Hungarian runners-up in 2015. Budapest lost to the Bratislava Monarchs in the 2015 Hungarian championship game.