Vikings get going

“We make each other better in training”

The Vienna Vikings footballers are already in the starting blocks! On Saturday, the Viennese franchise will kick off the new season of the European League of Football with a visit to Hungary. The offense and defense have recently been bolstered by additional big-name reinforcements. The fact that the Viennese team is still not considered one of the favorites does not bother them.

"This season will be a very special one." Everyone at the Vienna Vikings agrees on that ahead of the start of the new European League of Football (ELF) season. The Viennese franchise kicks off tomorrow with a visit to the Fehervar Enthroners in Hungary before the "Battel of Austria" against the Raiders Tirol in the home opener at the Generali Arena on June 1.

The Vikings scored a coup just in time for the start: Thomas Schaffer will enrich and strengthen the Viennese defense with his 140 kilogram fighting weight and experience. Like Vikings owner Robin Lumsden, the 25-year-old studied at Stanford and most recently played in the Canadian Football League, before that for the Vikings and the Raiders.

While Schaffer continues to strengthen the defense, tight end Florian Bierbaumer was recently signed as an important player for the offense. "Our D-line is incredibly strong, but we also have the best O-line in Europe with local players. As a result, we make each other even better in training," says Head Coach Chris Calaycay.

The fact that the Vikings are usually not at the top of the various "power rankings" for the season is of little concern to anyone in Simmering. "In the first season, when we won the title at the end, nobody had us at the top of the table either. And now we've got the championship rings on our fingers," says defensive back Luis Horvath with a slight smile.

However, the opponents could soon stop laughing if the Vikings bring what they are capable of onto the field.