Der europäische Footballverband EFAF hat das Heimrecht für die Eurobowl XXVI an die Calanda Broncos (CH) vergeben.
Das Spiel wird am 21. Juli um 18:00 Uhr in dem 7.838 Zuschauer fassenden Rheinpark Stadion Vaduz (Liechtenstein) ausgetragen. Das Areal ist nur rund 30 Kilometer Luftlinie von Chur entfernt. Eurosport2 wird die Partie zwischen den Calanda Broncos und Raiffeisen Vikings live übertragen.
In einer erste Stellungnahme zeigte sich Vikings Präsident Karl Wurm enttäuscht, aber auch erwartungsfroh. "Wir hätten für unsere Fans dieses Spiel gerne nach Wien geholt und haben der EFAF auch ein, wie ich finde, sehr gutes und vernünftiges Angebot gemacht. Eines war von Anfang an aber klar: wenn Calanda dieses Finale haben möchte, wird es dieses auch bekommen, da wir nicht über deren finanziellen Möglichkeiten verfügen. Da ich weiß, wie viel die Vikings der EFAF und dem Gegner geboten haben und das Angebot von Chur darüber liegen muss, freue ich mich nun aber auch über das, was die Vikings nun bekommen werden."
Public Viewing in der Raveline
Die Vikings werden allen Fans, die die 1400 Kilometer weite Reise in die Hauptstadt Liechtensteins nicht antreten können ein Public Viewing der Partie im Footballzentrum Raveline anbieten.
Eurobowl XXVI
Raiffeisen Vikings vs. Calanda Broncos (CH)
21. Juli 2012 | 18:00
Rheinparkstadion | Vaduz (FL)
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Pressemeldung der EFAF:
The Swiss Champion Calanda Broncos has awarded by the EFAF Board of Directors to host and organize the European Football League Final, the EUROBOWL XXVI against Vienna Vikings.
The game will be played at the Stadium Rheinpark Vaduz in the capital of Liechtenstein.
Eurosport 2 already confirmed to provide first time ever live coverage EUROBOWL – EFL championship game. With that coverage EUROBOWL will be brought to all American Football fans in whole Europe.
The Rheinpark stadium in Vaduz (Liechtenstein), which is located 29 air km away from our hometown in Chur (25 minute car ride), right at the boarder to Switzerland with an awesome mountain sight around and right in front of the sovereign castle of Liechtenstein. Rheinpark stadium is an internationally approved stadium and hosts all the international UEFA/FIFA soccer games of Liechtenstein.
The stadium has a fully seated capacity of 6,127, almost all of them roofed on all four sides of the stadium: Sektor 1 (Main stands): 2’684 (inkl. media, observer und handicapped places), Sektor 3 (Facing stands): 970 (inkl. media places), Sektor 2 (South stands): 1’232, Sektor 4 (North stands): 1’241. The stadium has additional standing places giving it a total capacity of 7,789. Calanda Broncos expects to bring at least 2000 fans from Chur to Vaduz, with probably 1000 more fans from football communities within reach and at least 1000 spectators who have never seen a game before. Together with the anticipated fans from Vienna we are positive to have a crowd of more than 5000.
The surface is natural grass with a field size of 105 m x 68 m. The stadium is located right at the highway A13 exit Vaduz, right next to the Rhine. The next bigger football towns and big cities Hohenems (39 km), Zurich (110 km), Innsbruck (172 km), Munich (237 km), Stuttgart an Milano (each 260 km) are all within driving distance (maximum 3 hour ride). The next international airport is located in St.Gallen-Altenrhein, 53 highway kilometers away from Vaduz, the next big airport is Zurich (110 km away).
EFAF President Robert Huber commented the decision: "After eight successful EUROBOWLS in Austria in a row we are turning a new page in the history of American Football Europe. It is the first time ever that a Swiss team participates in the EUROBOWL – EFL championship game. It is the first time that the EUROBOWL is organized by a Swiss team and also the first time that Eurosport covers one of our EFL games at all."
"We – the whole team of the Calanda Broncos – are really proud to be trusted to organize this unique event", said Calanda Broncos President Walter Tribolet. "We are well aware of the great honor and we will do everything possible to deliver an high class event."
Home field advantage in the semifinals and finals of both EFL and EFAF Cup is awarded in a bidding process amongst the competing teams. The process was standardized by EFAF in 2009 and enables clubs to formally apply, if they wish to host one of these games. The EFAF Board of Directors after evaluation of all applications decides based on financial, strategic and quality aspects. The goal is to showcase the top European games to a broad public, thus past attendance figures or possible TV coverage are amongst the most important in the mix of criteria that leads to the decision. Still clubs are allowed to back their application by direct financial offerings to their respective opponent, however since 2009 these can only be used in a way deemed to enhance the quality of play in the game. So a hosting club may choose to cover the cost for an extended hotel-stay of the visiting team, accommodate a bigger delegation or offer a prize money for the game. The percentages of such prize money to be awarded to the winner and the loser are preset by EFAF competition guidelines to ensure transparency in any financial transaction between the two clubs involved.
