One focus will be on promoting sustainable development in Germany. We want to work to ensure that our sport – especially that in the GFL – increases its public perception and that we establish ourselves as the sport with the most spectators behind football and motorsport in the long term. This is of course a very visionary perspective, but overall we have to try to stabilize the positive trend and not just turn it into a flash in the pan.
For the second time, the Japanese champions
are guests at a GFL club, this time in Düsseldorf. Will the International Challenge Bowl now become a regular feature?
With the second event this year, this idea has already become established. We are in good spirits that we will be able to continue this type of 해외축구중계사이트 exchange, although this does not necessarily have to be an annual interval. The exchange with Japan has the highest priority for the AFVD because we meet clubs and leagues that are comparable to our structures there. In addition to the GFL, the X-League in Japan is the most highly develop top national football league under the umbrella of one association. That’s why we’re still talking about hosting the German-Japan Bowl II between the two national teams, this time as a second leg in Japan.
Unicorns and eagles prepare for the Euro bowl.
An international game operation is always a performance comparison of leagues. In this respect it is important to give a good business card in the Eurobowl. However, we still encounter completely different competitive conditions in Europe. For example, the AFL in Austria is very powerful at the top, but with its very small league and only a short season, it is a significantly lower sporting challenge for a club than a GFL with up to 17 competitive games over six months.
The IOC recently discussed the composition of the Olympic program – American football remains outside. With what time horizon – if at all – is the Olympics an issue for American football?
As long as our world association IFAF is not in a position
to organize world championships that are not pay for solely by the participating nations, the Olympics will be an unrealistic utopia. Just this week we received an invitation to host a World Student Championships, which our world governing body is celebrating as a great achievement. However, the information we received from the General German University Sports Association means that neither the IFAF nor the World Association of University Sports nor the organizer will take on any services. It is simply expect that the national trade associations will pay all costs in full, including those for overnight stays on site. The model for the Women’s World Cup this year is corresponding, with the result that out of 64 member nations of the IFAF only six have registered for the World Cup at all.
With Björn Werner, a third player, who originally comes from an AFVD club, is about to be draft into the NFL. How important are such successes for the work of the association here in Germany?
Such developments cannot be overestimate. This proves that it is possible for a young person from Germany to have a real chance of getting a professional contract. And this without any detours, but through a direct commitment to US college sports. This development, with three German NFL professionals expected from April, is proof of the quality of German American Football. No other country outside of the North American continent has ever achieved this. We wish Björn Werner that he gets the best possible team and hopefully can play in the Super Bowl soon.