MERCENARIES EYE FRESH START WITH NEW HC, PLAYERS
From last week’s low point of having to request the postponement of their trip to Denmark to face the unbeaten Nordic Storm, the Helvetic Mercenaries are hoping to emerge with, as their website puts it, ‘New setup. New energy. New hope.’.
The Swiss franchise has never been a European League of Football powerhouse in its short history, having played its first season as the Helvetic Guards before a change of ownership led to a rebranding. Widely reported to already have the shallowest roster in the league, a rash of injuries then left the Mercenaries with a squad of healthy players that fell below the required minimum for the trip to Copenhagen, leading to the game being postponed 24 hour before it was due to kick off.
That surprise was followed by the announcement that head coach Marcus Herford had been relieved of his duties, with the club officially citing their poor start to the 2025 season as reason for the decision — although subsequent Instagram posts from the American suggested he felt otherwise.
In Switzerland, however, things have moved on at pace ahead of a home game series that sees the Mercenaries hosting four high-flying opponents — Paris Musketeers, Munich Ravens, Madrid Bravos and Prague Lions — on successive weekends through July.
Firstly, Joshua Fitzgerald has been hired as Herford’s replacement, with the aim of rejuvenating a franchise many felt had stagnated despite some promising performances and initiating a turnaround in results.
“I would like to thank the owners Sonja and Sandro Moor, as well as the entire Helvetic family, for welcoming me and giving me the opportunity to build on the foundation of this team,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re not starting from scratch, but we’re starting anew — with a clear goal in mind. I look forward to presenting you with a product you can be proud of. Now it’s time to defend our home stadium and turn things around together.”
While Fitzgerald intends to work closely with US quarterback Josiah Norwood and former NFL WR Keelan Cole as pqrt of the overhaul — believing their connection could be a game-changer for the Mercenaries, the team has also adjusted the roster at the midway point of the season, with reinforcements being brought in from rival teams.
“We’re working hard to strengthen our roster with high-quality and experienced players — both national and international,” sporting director Jeremy Bryson claimed. “More names will be added in the coming days. We’ll be competitive — our fans can look forward to that.”
The first of the cavalry arrives in time for this weekend’s clash with the Musketeers, as defensive backs Darrius Nash, Sarrow Drammeh and, most intriguingly of all, Devan Burrell join the team with immediate effect. Nash brings recent title-winning experience from two years at the Rhein Fire, while 21-year-old Drammeh leaves last year’s beaten finalists Stuttgart for a new challenge in Switzerland. Burrell, meanwhile, is more of a shock, the former ELF All-Star and Special Teams Player of the Year having appeared to be a cornerstone of the Wroclaw Panthers. The American is not only a talented ballhawk, but is also one of the league’s best returners, as he has shown on multiple occasions already this season with three scores and 931 yards on special teams to add to 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, forced fumble and two interceptions, including a pick-six.
“With Devan Burrell, Darrius Nash and Sarrow Drammeh, we are signing top players whose experience and skills will immediately advance our team,” Bryson enthused. “These reinforcements open up new possibilities on the field and strengthen our ambitions for the rest of the season.”
With help needed at other positions, especially following the release of DE DeMarco Artis and injury to safety Joc Crawford, it would be no surprise to learn of more arrivals crossing the borders into Switzerland as the Mercenaries look to register their first win of the season, albeit against some of the toughest opponents they will face all year.