WARNER SWAPS PRAGUE FOR MADRID RETURN

The coinciding announcements that both the Prague Lions and Madrid Bravos would be looking for new head coaches next season got an added twist when Dave Warner’s exit from Czechia was revealed to enable a return to Spain.

Warner’s decision to step down from the Prague job was announced prior to the European League of Football’s annual Honours event last weekend, while a similar statement from the Spanish capital regarding Andrew Weidinger broke — and was largely overshadowed by — confirmation of the European Football Alliance burning its last bridge with the ELF.

Weidinger has taken the step of quitting as Bravos lead man after a single, successful, season for personal reasons, having led the franchise to a second consecutive playoff appearance and built an offensive powerhouse that not only immediately stamped its mark on the league but also led to the Bravos scooping the biggest haul of individual seasonal awards.

“We are very grateful to Andrew for his work and commitment,” GM Jaime Martín said in a statement. “We feel fortunate to have been able to enjoy one of the best offenses in ELF history with him.”

The announcement, which appeared on the Bravos website, only stated that the club had already begun planning for next season and was ‘finalising details with the new coach who will lead the project in this new season’. That man is now known to be Warner, who transformed the Lions from a single win (in two seasons) outfit to a 7-5 threat to the ELF establishment, and is already a familiar face in Madrid, having served as the Bravos’ offensive coordinator in 2024. As an offensive mind, he will be charged with building on Weidinger’s work (which largely built on Warner’s efforts the previous season) and return the team to the postseason and, more especially, something greater than a wildcard one-and-done. For that to happen, Warner may also have to tighten up the Madrid defense, but at least he has something solid to work with.