ELF APPOINTS INGO SCHILLER AS CO-CEO

The management reset within the European League of Football has begun with the appointment of Ingo Schiller in the dual role of co-CEO and chief financial officer (CFO) with immediate effect.

Amidst the upheaval that has recently beset the league, from the formation of the European Football Alliance to the resignation announcements — to take effect from the end of the season — of both commissioner Patrick Esume and erstwhile CEO and managing director Zeljko Karajica, 60-year-old Schiller is expected to play a central role in the strategic and economic development of the league.

“I greatly appreciate having him at my side through the end of this season — and beyond that, the league’s leadership is in the best possible hands,” Karajica claimed.

Schiller’s appointment was unanimously approved by ELF shareholders, and his task will involve opening talks with representatives of all 16 existing franchises, including the nine current members of the EFA, who have made it clear that productive dialogue could not take place while Karajica was still in office.

“Especially now, as we look to take the ELF to the next level and make it future-proof after a rapid build-up, Ingo — with his wealth of experience and expertise — is the right person in the right place. We’re very pleased to have brought him on board,” Heinz Kierchhoff, who appears to have emerged as the voice of the accumulated investors, said on behalf of the shareholders.

Schiller’s objective is to work together constructively to develop a stable and

sustainable model for all stakeholders and secure the long-term future of the ELF.

Described as a ‘sports executive and financial expert’, having worked extensively in the round-ball version of football in his native country, the German will shortly invite franchise representatives to a meeting where particular attention will be given to suggestions made by the EFA in a bid to prevent a potential breakaway by the strongest and best-organised clubs in the ELF.

“I’m looking forward to this task because I see enormous potential in the European League of Football — both in terms of athletic development and commercial success,” Schiller commented. “The league has grown rapidly and excites football fans around the world, yet it is still at the beginning of its journey. I’m highly motivated to actively help shape the ELF in this responsible role, in close coordination with the franchises and shareholders.”

Schiller brings more than 30 years of experience in the sports and finance sectors to the embattled ELF. Between 1992-98, he headed up the marketing, sales and merchandising departments at Borussia Mönchengladbach and also served as the commercial managing director of Stadionbau GmbH. From 1998 to 2022, he moved on to become managing director at Hertha BSC, where he was responsible for key areas including finance, organisation, marketing & sales, infrastructure, human resources, legal, IT, and new business. Throughout the last nine years of his association with Hertha, he also served on the supervisory board of the German Football League (DFL), who he additionally represented on the executive board of the German Football Association (DFB).

“With Ingo Schiller, we’ve gained a partner who has proven over decades how to lead sports organisations strategically, economically and structurally,” outgoing league commissioner Patrick Esume concluded.

Since 2023, Schiller has run his own consultancy agency focusing on corporate management, structural development, and mediation.