STUTTGART CALLS FOR CALM HEADS IN ELF RIFT

The eight franchises fronting the European Football Alliance do not include either this season’s remaining unbeaten team or 2023’s beaten finalist and current frontrunner, with the latter admitting that it is prepared to wait and see how the European League of Football reacts to recent criticism of its product.

The Stuttgart Surge not only missed out to the Rhein Fire in 2023, but reached the semi-finals last season and will head into Week 10 of the 2025 campaign at the head of the ELF’s West Division with a 6-2 record after last night’s victory over Frankfurt Galaxy. Along with the unbeaten Nordic Storm and German rival Munich Ravens, the Surge would appear to be a logical candidate for membership of the EFA, but managing director Suni Musa says that he is in no hurry to sign up as he has faith that the league’s current problems can be ironed out.

“This league is, and remains, a good idea, but it requires patience and a different approach,” Musa told Stuttgarter Zeitung, “We don’t fundamentally agree with everything that happens in the league, but we’re not against it either. You have to give a new construct time to develop and grow. That’s anything but easy at a time when we all have to reduce costs and still want to maintain quality.”