Austria Defends European American Football Title with 27-0 Victory Over Finland
Austria has once again been crowned European champion in American football, defeating Finland 27-0 in Tuesday’s final held in Krefeld. This victory marks the second consecutive European Championship for the Austrian team, having previously won the title in 2023 with a 28-0 win against Finland in st. Pölten.
The team, coached by Max Sommer, secured their place in the final with a 30-9 victory over host nation Germany on Sunday, marking their fourth European Championship final appearance in the association’s history.
“It was an incredibly lovely game, even though it was sloppy,” said head coach Sommer, visibly emotional after the win. “Those were certainly the ten most beautiful football days I’ve ever experienced. We had such a great, friendly time together adn there are a lot of footballers who ended their careers here today.”
Ex-NFL running back Sandro Platzgummer, potentially playing his final game for the national team, expressed his joy, stating, ”It’s a mega moment for me. We have proven again that we are the best in Europe.”
the final against the five-time European champions Finland was decisive from the start. Yannick Mayr scored the first touchdown of the game, followed by a touchdown from Philipp Haun and two field goals, establishing a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. An Austrian interception immediately after the restart didn’t result in points, and the offense experienced a challenging period, though Finland was unable to capitalize.
Florian Bierbaumer extended Austria’s lead with a third touchdown after halftime, and Fabian Eder sealed the victory in the final quarter with his fourth touchdown, bringing the final score to 27-0.
In the bronze medal game, Italy defeated Germany 17-14.
