FURTHER CHANGES AS MERCENARIES ENTER LIONS DEN
The team statement is headlined ‘Change, Growth and Sunday’s Game’, and the embattled Helvetic Mercenaries are making the first to ensure the second, all before their latest game in the European League of Football.
The Swiss team has yet to win a game in 2025 and has been on the wrong end of the sort of blowout result that has led to the emergent European Football Alliance — of which it is not a member — seeking answers from ELF management under threat of a potential breakaway. Head coach Marcus Herford was released within hours of the Mercenaries failing to fulfil their fixture with Nordic Storm in Copenhagen and there have been wholesale comings and goings on the roster in the past few weeks, including the arrival of players previously thought embedded at rivals.
The latest moves have followed the departure of Helvetic’s director of player personnel, Jeremy Bryson, who had overseen Herford’s exit, the promotion of Joshua Fitzgerald to head coach and the arrival of reinforcements for the squad.
“A lot has happened with this team over the past few weeks. Some might call it drama – I see it as growing pains and building a foundation,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “We’re in a hole right now and, when you dig yourself out, you get dirty. People will come, and people will go.
“Unfortunately, we’ve lost our director of player personnel, who has undoubtedly given everything he had. We want to personally thank Jeremy Bryson for all his hard work and dedication. He was a true Mercenary.”
While no names were revealed, Helvetic have welcomed two new members to the management team who will take over the responsibility for personnel and sport directives.
“We believe these individuals will give us the traction we need on our climb toward success,” Fitzgerald continued. “Our structures will be reinforced, and we are shifting from being reactive to becoming proactive. That said, we’re still looking for enthusiastic and driven people who want to be part of building a successful American football team in Switzerland.”
With the front office overhaul underway, the head coach has turned his attention to this week’s game against the Prague Lions. If Helvetic needed a role model for escaping the ELF basement, this weekend’s opponent would be the perfect example, having seemingly been on the way out of the league until Mason Parker’s group bought in and began turning things around. Having never won more than a single game in a previous campaign, the Lions are currently sitting at 5-4 and in with a shout of an inaugural playoff appearance.
Having shown well in their Week 9 encounter with division-leading Munich, the Mercenaries slumped back into old habits as they hosted Madrid in Week 10, going down 61-6 to the Bravos, much to Fitzgerald’s obvious frustration.
“The last time we took the field, our performance was, to put it simply, not good enough,” Fitzgerald, who is now also wearing the general manager title, admitted. “Of course, we knew that bringing in a new quarterback would be a challenge, and we didn’t expect instant results, but we still fell short of the mental standard we’ve set as our new baseline.
“But, win or lose, we always have the opportunity to improve. This week, we’ve challenged our guys mentally and physically beyond what they thought was possible — and they’ve responded with character and integrity. From the moment we arrive at the stadium to the final whistle, our focus will be absolute. This week’s practices have shown a new level of intensity, and it has given our players real confidence heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Lions.
“We’ve adopted a ‘leave no stone unturned’ mentality in our preparation, with high-quality practices, focused film study and engaged team meetings. Special teams was a clear highlight last week, and we plan to build on that momentum. Devan Burrell is hungry to take [a kick return] all the way — and we’ve placed real emphasis on making that happen!
“Our kicking game has also improved over the last two weeks, helping us flip field position when it matters most but, defensively, we must tackle better and shut down the run. Offensively, quarterback Keegan McCormick is settling into the playbook and will enter the game with growing confidence, which should lead to more movement and opportunity in the passing game.
“Our offensive focus has been clear: win on third downs. Our coaching staff has emphasised doing the little things right. Compete. Fight together. Execute. Execute. Execute.”