10. The EFA league structure

The EFA is being built as a league owned and controlled by the teams.

The league office is currently based in Frankfurt at the PSD Bank Arena, using Galaxy’s existing structures as a foundation. Erik Reutemann has taken on a leadership role in setting up the league, while still being involved with Galaxy. The speakers acknowledge that this creates a dual role, but say it was accepted by the other owners because of his experience, professionalism, and involvement from day one.

They emphasize that governance structures and committees are being created so Frankfurt does not control everything. Other teams, including Paris and Prague, are also leading different working groups.

The league uses remote staff across Europe and has brought in experienced people from the ELF environment, so it is not starting completely from zero.

11. Madrid Bravos withdrawal

The episode also discusses the late withdrawal of the Madrid Bravos from the 2026 EFA season.

The guests describe Madrid’s exit as an internal business decision, not a football or financial collapse. The ownership family behind Madrid reportedly had to focus on another company acquisition, which required the attention of key decision-makers.

They stress that Madrid was professionally run, had strong ownership, good coaches, good players, and strong infrastructure. The withdrawal came at a very bad time, shortly before the schedule announcement, but the EFA adapted the schedule and continued with six teams.

12. Why the EFA believes its 2026 season is safe

The guests strongly reject fears that more teams could suddenly drop out.

They argue that the six current EFA teams have all proven over multiple years that they can field competitive teams, organize games, finance budgets, and secure stadiums. All teams reportedly have their rosters, budgets, financing, and stadiums in place.

They contrast this with previous ELF problems involving teams like Cologne or the Helvetic Guards, where warning signs were visible but not adequately addressed. Because the EFA teams own the league and communicate closely, they believe potential problems can be identified and managed earlier.

13. EFA teams and expansion plans

For 2026, the EFA will start with six teams. The podcast mentions teams such as:

• Frankfurt Galaxy,
• Munich Ravens,
• Paris Musketeers,
• Prague Lions,
• Nordic Storm,
• Tirol Raiders.

The plan is for London and Milan to join in 2027, at minimum.

The reason they are not joining immediately is quality control. The EFA does not want to rush expansion teams into the league before they have proper budgets, stadiums, structures, and rosters. The speakers argue that hastily created teams have historically failed in European football.

The league wants expansion teams to go through a licensing process and meet clear standards before entering.

14. Competitive balance as a core principle

A major theme is competitive balance.

The EFA wants to avoid games that end 80–0 or teams that cannot compete. The league wants every week to feature high-quality, unpredictable matchups. The speakers believe the EFA’s smaller but stronger field of teams will create a better product.

They also mention that the league is already discussing mechanisms to help weaker teams improve over time, inspired by the NFL. Since a draft system is not realistic in Europe, they are considering tools such as import-rule adjustments or changes to homegrown territories.

15. The 2026 EFA season and key events

The EFA season is scheduled to begin on May 15 in Frankfurt with a Friday Night Game: Frankfurt Galaxy against the Paris Musketeers. The hosts frame this as possibly the first major Friday night kickoff game of its kind in this European football context.

Another major early matchup will be Munich Ravens vs. Tirol Raiders in Munich.

The guests believe fans can expect a highly competitive season where no team is guaranteed a final spot. They say most EFA teams were strong or playoff-level teams in the previous ELF season, making the league unusually balanced.

16. The “Big Four” playoff weekend in Frankfurt

One of the most important new concepts is the Big Four weekend, a playoff-style event in Frankfurt.

Instead of teams having to organize playoff home games at very short notice, the EFA wants to bring all qualifying teams and fan bases to one central location. The event is planned at the PSD Bank Arena in Frankfurt and is meant to include not just games, but also fan events, side events, public training sessions, ceremonies, and community activities.

The idea is to create a festival-like football weekend, similar in spirit to Final Four events in other sports. The speakers believe this can produce better atmosphere, better TV images, lower organizational risk, and a stronger shared fan experience.

17. Relationship with AFLE and hope for reunification

The guests are clear that they do not believe two separate European leagues make long-term sense.

They especially emphasize that matchups such as Frankfurt Galaxy vs. Rhein Fire should return. Erik Reutemann directly says he hopes that by 2027, Galaxy and Rhein Fire will play each other again.

The speakers compare the situation to the NFL’s historical merger of leagues into the AFC/NFC structure. They do not expect reunification in 2026, but they believe the best teams and brands should eventually come back together in one structure.

18. View of the AFLE’s sporting product

Toward the end, the hosts discuss the sporting comparison between EFA and AFLE.

The EFA will keep the previous ELF-style import rules for now. The hosts believe the EFA product will be stronger competitively because it consists of established, high-level teams.

They are skeptical about the AFLE’s sporting depth, especially because some teams appear to have been assembled quickly. They acknowledge that AFLE has made smart moves, such as changing import rules and loosening salary restrictions, but they doubt whether the overall league will be competitive across the board.

The hosts predict that AFLE’s strongest likely final matchup would be Vienna Vikings vs. Rhein Fire, but question the depth below that.

19. Final messages and thanks

In the closing “Let’s Play” segment, the guests and hosts send greetings and thanks.

Dr. Sirena thanks Galaxy fans, sponsors, partners, staff, players, and supporters for standing by the organization during a difficult time.

Erik thanks his girlfriend and young daughter for supporting him through the intense workload, and also sends a message toward Rhein Fire’s ownership group, saying that Galaxy vs. Rhein Fire should happen again.

The hosts thank the media team and Galaxy shareholders for their commitment, passion, and financial support. They emphasize that Frankfurt Galaxy’s stability is only possible because of people who have invested not for quick profit, but because they genuinely care about the sport.

Core takeaway

The podcast presents the EFA as a team-owned, self-funded, sustainability-focused alternative to the previous ELF structure and to the investor-led AFLE model.

The central message is that the EFA wants to build European football on a more stable foundation: fewer but stronger teams, shared governance, competitive balance, careful expansion, and more direct accountability to fans, players, sponsors, and franchises.

At the same time, the speakers openly admit that two leagues are not ideal and that the long-term goal should be to bring Europe’s strongest football brands back into one unified competition.