Vienna Vikings to play ELF at Generali Arena

The Vienna Vikings will play their home games in the European League of Football 2022 at the Generali Arena. In June, July and August, the Vikings will host teams from all over Europe on six match days and fight for a place in the playoffs.

For their first participation in the European League of Football (ELF) which was founded in 2020, the Vienna Vikings looked for - and found - a special home. The five-time Euro Bowl winners and 15-time Austrian national champions will play their six home games of the ELF Regular Season in the Generali Arena.

After the Vikings' opening game at the Raiders Tirol, the first football game in the new Generali Arena will take place on Sunday, 12 June at 3:00 pm. The opponent is none other than the reigning ELF champions Frankfurt Galaxy.

One week later, on 19 June, Stuttgart Surge will play in Vienna-Favoriten, and on 3 July there will be a duel with the Wroclaw Panthers. The Raiders Tirol are the Vikings' opponents on 24 July, followed by the Istanbul Rams on 21 August and the Barcelona Dragons on 28 August.

Austria Wien subscribers will be able to access the East Stand exclusively and free of charge for the top match against Frankfurt Galaxy in mid-June. There will also be other promotions for Austria Wien and Vienna Vikings fans. Detailed information on ELF subscription and ticket sales will follow shortly.

Quotes on the Vienna Vikings' entry

Karl Wurm, President Vienna Vikings: "I am very happy that we will start our first season in the European League of Football with the Generali-Arena as our home stadium. The Generali-Arena has been our first choice from the very beginning, not only because we have been linked with Austria for more than twelve years through the outstanding work of our two youth academies at the Vienna Ball Sports Gymnasium, but also because the size, facilities, location and transport links of the stadium are perfect. And the fact that we wear almost identical team colours is like whipped cream on a Sacher cake. Today we are taking an important step together for everyone whose heart bleeds Purple - but also for the Austrian sport of football and above all for our home city of Vienna."

Gerhard Krisch, CEO FK Austria Wien: "We are very pleased and it is great to be able to revitalise the Generali Arena away from football. We have also held talks with our fan representatives in the run-up to the event. American football is a very exciting and increasingly strong sport that we can definitely learn something from, not least off the pitch."

Chris Calaycay, Head Coach Vienna Vikings: "It is an incredible highlight for me in my 20-year journey with the Vikings. We want to offer our fans and visitors unforgettable match days - On and Off The Field. We want to inspire with the best football action on the field, fun and entertainment before and during the game cannot be missing. I am very happy for our fans, but also for my team, that we can now call this impressive arena our home."

Luis Horvath, captain Vienna Vikings: "We want to play the best football in Europe and the fact that we will do that in what I think is the best stadium in the league is both a pleasure and an honour. The Generali Arena pushes our motivation even further. We can't wait to get started in June!"

Manuel Ortlechner, Sports Director FK Austria Wien: "It is very casual that we have come together here. Football is growing very strongly in Austria and I also know that some of our players are big fans. I think there are a lot of synergies and we can certainly take something for ourselves here."

Violet cooperation

Apart from the violet colour, Austria Wien and the Vienna Vikings are connected by the ball sports high school, where players of both clubs enjoy their school education. The dual education system of the ball sports high school enables the young athletes to concentrate on their sporting career on the one hand, and on the other hand to work towards their school-leaving exams at the same time and with the same amount of energy.

Moreover, this is not the first time that the Vienna Vikings have played in Vienna-Favoriten. In May 2012, the Vikings played two games in the old Generali Arena - and won both: The 37:7 victory in the derby against the Danube Dragons in week 8 of the Austrian Football League (AFL) was followed by a 25:13 win against the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in the quarter-finals of the then European Football League (EFL) one week later.

A good omen for successful ELF games for the Vienna Vikings in the Generali Arena!