LIVESTREAM GNC: Team Canada @ Italy, Nov. 9, 15:00 CET (3 pm, 9 am ET)
By John Mahnen
The 2025 Gridiron Nations Championship (GNC) continues this month with two intriguing clashes that bridge continents and cultures in the game of American football. Italy, Germany, and Canada headline the new annual tournament, designed to give senior national teams consistent, high-level international competition — something long missing from the global calendar.
The GNC quietly kicked off in late October when Italy edged Germany 17–14 in Krefeld in the IFAF European Final Four bronze-medal game, a result that also counts toward the GNC standings. Now attention turns to Milan, where the Azzurri host Canada on November 9 at the Velodromo Vigorelli, before Canada travels north to face Germany on November 16 in Bochum. The trophy at stake — the newly unveiled Mullin-Fraser Cup, an ornate 19th-century silver piece — will serve as the perpetual prize for the champion nation.
For Italy, this marks a second meeting with Canada in 2025. Back in April, a youthful Azzurri roster suffered a 56–0 loss in Sardinia as Canada played its first international game in 14 years. But that was a spring scrimmage; this is November, and Italy arrives with a full complement of its top-tier players and momentum from its European bronze.
Quarterback Luke Zahradka (Frogs Legnano) is again the engine of the Italian offense. The 198-cm veteran has led Italy through multiple European Championship campaigns and brings calm command to the huddle. His chemistry with wideouts Matteo Mozzanica (Vienna Vikings) and Charles Tassan (Panthers Parma) is key to stretching the field, while Ryan Edward Minniti (Potsdam Royals) continues to be Italy’s heartbeat — a two-way impact player capable of game-changing plays on either side of the ball.
Italy’s roster also boasts physicality in the front seven, led by linebacker Nicholas Principles (Varese Skorpions) and defensive lineman Marco Taddia (Ferrara Eagles). The offensive line, anchored by Nicholas Woods (Guelphs Florence) and Lorenzo January Garnet (Ravensburg Razorbacks), will be tested early and often by a deep Canadian defensive front.
Canada, meanwhile, comes into Milan under Head Coach Jesse Maddox, who has rebuilt the senior national program from the ground up. His staff — including Stevenson Bone (OC), Sammy Okpro (DC), and Craig Butler (ST) — blends U Sports, CFL, and international experience, bringing a professional edge to the national setup. Canada’s roster features a mix of university and semi-pro standouts drawn from coast to coast, and its sheer depth was on display in April’s one-sided win.
Maddox has been quick to caution against complacency. The Italians are now in rhythm after their European run, and Canada faces a long road trip, unfamiliar conditions, and a determined opponent playing on home soil. Expect the Canadians to rotate heavily through their backfield and rely on physical offensive line play to control tempo.
For Italy, the mission is clear: keep Zahradka upright, manage field position, and create takeaways. The Azzurri defense thrived on exactly that formula in Krefeld — highlighted by Paolo Rotelli’s red-zone interception and Minniti’s relentless pursuit — and they’ll need more of the same to hang with a deeper Canadian side.
The GNC’s format is simple but ambitious: a three-team round robin with results from overlapping international competitions (such as the IFAF European Final Four) integrated into the standings. It’s a cooperative venture between the federations of Canada, Germany, and Italy, operating within the IFAF framework but managed independently — a pragmatic approach that could lay the groundwork for expansion to other nations in 2026 and beyond.
The choice of venues also matters. Milan’s Velodromo Vigorelli — restored to its 1930s grandeur — has become a symbol of Italian American football’s persistence, while Bochum’s Lohrheidestadion provides a fitting German stage to close the series a week later. Both games will stream live worldwide on IFAF.TV, giving fans across Europe and North America the chance to watch these national teams collide.
While small in scale, the GNC has already achieved something important: it’s given international fans a reason to care about national-team football again. Too often, senior men’s programmes have gone dormant between sporadic world championships. Now, for the first time in years, there’s structure — annual competition, familiar rivals, and something tangible to play for.
As for predictions, Canada remains the favorite. The roster depth, coaching staff, and physical advantage up front make the visitors tough to pick against. Italy, however, has home advantage, improved cohesion, and confidence from recent success. Expect the Azzurri to compete hard and keep it respectable, but Canada’s quality should prevail — Canada 28, Italy 14 feels about right.
Beyond the scoreline, the Gridiron Nations Championship is about proving what’s possible when federations collaborate and commit to continuity. If the next two weekends deliver competitive football and a solid broadcast, the GNC could become a permanent fixture — an annual bridge between Europe and North America that brings the global football community a little closer together.
