Graphic: Igor Lazarevic
All but one 2018 European championship has been decided with the German, Danish and Ukrainian champions the last three titles. The final championship game for the Croatian title is scheduled for December.
Let’s take a look back at the 29 champions from each country and the Eurobowl, Central European Football League (CEFL), Northern European Football League (NEFL) and Superfinal (CEFL vx NEFL) champions. Click on the links for a recap of each championship game. Austria’s Swarco Raiders had the distinction of getting a hat trick, winning three championships; the Austrian title, CEFL title and the Superfinal.
Austria
In perhaps the most thrilling Austrian championship game on record, the Swarco Raiders outlasted the Dacia Vienna Vikings, beating the 51-48 in front of 5,500 fans in St. Pölten, Austria to win Austrian Bowl XXXIV.
Baltic League
The Riga Lions from Latvia defeated Team Estonia 28-20 to win the Baltic League title.
Belgium
The Brussels Black Angels spoiled a magical year for the league newcomers the Limburg Shotguns in Belgian Bowl XXXI, by overwhelming them 50-0 to win their third Belgian title.
Central European Football League
With 4,000 fans looking on a Tivoli Stadium in Innsbruck, Austria, the Swarco Raiders defeated the Istanbul Koc Rams from Turkey 49-20 to capture CEFL Bowl XIII and repeat as CEFLchampions.
Croatia
The Croatian championship game is scheduled for December.
Czech Republic
The Prague Black Panthers soundly defeated the Ostrava Steelers 30-7 to capture Czech Bowl XXV, to win their sixth straight Czech league title and eighth overall.
Denmark
The Copenhagen Towers rewrote history in defeating the Triangle Razorbacks 23-22 and winning Mermaid Bowl XXX, capturing an unprecedented eighth Danish title in the process.
Eurobowl
Photo: Fabian Uebe
The Braunschweig New York Lions captured Eurobowl XXXII beating the Frankfurt Universe 20-19, rewriting the Eurobowl history books in winning their fourth straight title and sixth overall. With the win, the Lions surpassed the Vienna Vikings who have won five.
Finland
The Helsinki Roosters capped a perfect and perhaps their most impressive, season in their 40 year long history by downing the upstart Kuopio Steelers 44-14 at Telia 5G Stadium in Helsinki, Finland in Maple Bowl XXXIX to win their seven consecutive Finnish crown.
France
The La Courneuve Flash defended their FFFA – Fédération Française de Football Américain title – Casque de Diamant – a week ago and won their 11th overall by defeating the Thonon Black Panthers 20-14 in a hard fought battle.
Germany
The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns defended their German Football League title in a thrilling come-from-behind, edge-of-your-seat 21-19 victory over the Frankfurt Universe in German Bowl XL at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin.
Great Britain
The London Warriors reclaimed their spot atop the British game with a convincing victory over previous title holders, the Tamworth Phoenix, at John Charles Centre for Sport, Leeds.
Hungary
The Budapest Wolves downed the Miskolc Steelers 34-30 in the Hungarian Football League’s championship final at Szusza Ferenc Stadium in Újpest, Hungary.
Holland
The Hilversum Hurricanes defeated the Lelystad Commanders 24-13 to win their third Tulip Bowl and first since 2001.
Ireland
The Cork Admirals captured their first ever Irish championship title when they defeated the Dublin Rebels 18-16 in Shamrock Bowl XXXII at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.
Israel
As the record-breaking crowd on hand at the new Kraft Family Sports Campus sang and danced throughout Israel Bowl XI, the Jerusalem Lions captured their second consecutive Israel Bowl title, and third overall in franchise history beating the Petah Tikva Troopers 28-20.
Italy
The Milano Seamen came from behind to win their second straight Italian championship and the fourth in five years as they downed the Bolzano Giants 28-14 in the 2018 Italian Bowl.
Northern European Football League, NEFL
Denmark’s Copenhagen Towers took a 30-16 lead over the Carlstad Crusaders from Sweden and withstood a furious second half comeback by Carlstad to capture the 2018 NEFL title.
Norway
The Oslo Vikings captured their third consecutive Norwegian title and 12th overall in trouncing the Åsane Seahawks 65-0 at Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway and in front of a national TV audience in Norway.
Poland
The Białystok Lowlanders defeated the Wroclaw Panthers 14-13 to capture Polish Bowl XIIIand win Poland’s Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego (LFA) title for the first time in their history.
The Warsaw Eagles have won their first Polish Superfinal title since 2008 with a convincing 33-12 win over the Poznan Kozly this past weekend in the Polska Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego championship game.
Portugal
The Portuscale Dragons defeated the Porto Mutts 6-0 to win their first ever Portuguese championship.
Romania
The Cluj Crusaders downed the Bucharest Rebels 10-0 to win the 2018 Romanian Bowl.
Russia
The Moscow Spartans have finally joined the ranks of only three teams that have managed to beat the dominant Moscow Patriots for the Russian title (only the now-defunct Black Storm and St. Petersburg Griffins have achieved that feat in 2013 and 2015 respectively). The Spartans outlasted the Patriots in a defensive battle, 7-3.
Serbia
The Kragujevac Wild Boars won their third consecutive Serbian championship and eighth overall by beating SBB Vukovi Belgrade 54-36 in Serbian Bowl XIV at Čika Dača Stadium in Kragujevac.
Slovakia
The Trnava Bulldogs captured their second Slovakian title by defeating the Zilina Warriors 24-12 in Trnava, Slovakia to win Slovak Bowl IV.
Spain
The Badalona Dracs ran into resistance for the first time in Spain this year and had to overcome a 19 point deficit before defeating the Murcia Cobras 33-26 to capture their third consecutive Spanish title and ninth in their history.
Superfinal
The Swarco Raiders capped a perfect Central European Football League campaign by defeating the Northern European Football League champions, Denmark’s Copenhagen Towers, 45-20 in the Superfinal in front of a sold-out crowd at Copenhagen’s Gentofte Sportspark stadium.
Sweden
For the first time since 2010, there will be a new name on the Swedish championship trophy as the Stockholm Mean Machines stunned the Swedish American football community, beating the Carlstad Crusaders 42-41 in the Swedish championship final at Stockholm Stadion.
Switzerland
The Calanda Broncos captured their second consecutive Swiss title and ninth overall after defeating the Geneva Seahawks 44-12 in Swiss Bowl XXXIII this past weekend in Bern, Switzerland.
Turkey
The Koç Rams used a dominant second half performance to win their third straight Turkish American Football League title this past weekend by downing the Bogazici Sultans 52-21.
Ukraine
The Kiev Patriots defeated the Lviv Lions 44-6 to capture the Ukrainian championship.
