2018 European Championship of American football

Last updated

2018 European Championship of American football
Tournament details
Host nationFlag of Finland.svg Finland
Dates29 July – 4 August 2018
No. of nations6
Final positions
Champions  Gold medal blank.svg Flag of France.svg  France
Runner-up  Silver medal blank.svg Flag of Austria.svg  Austria
Third-place  Bronze medal blank.svg Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Tournament statistics
Attendance10,001 (Avg. ~1,111 per game)
MVP of the tournament Flag of France (lighter variant).svg QB Paul Durand
2014
2021

The 2018 European Championship was the 14th European Championship in American football. The final tournament was played in Vantaa, Finland from 29 July to 4 August 2018.

Contents

Qualification

The Qualification for the European Championship 2018 was held in three stages. In the first round, twelve teams played a single playoff round. The six winners and two further teams played the second round, in two tournaments of four teams. Another two teams entered the qualification in the third round in playoff games against the two tournament winners of the second round. Four teams were already qualified for the European Championship 2018. Altogether an all-time record number of twenty teams competed to win the European title in 2018. One team, Germany, did not play a single game due to the national federation of American Football in Germany having an unresolved dispute with IFAF.

First round

The first round was played from August to October 2015. Six of the twelve teams took part in one of the tournaments of the last championship. These were the seeded teams playing against an unseeded team. The seeded teams were the hosts of their playoff game. Israel defeating Spain was the only unseeded team to make it to the next round.

DateKickoffAwayScoreHomeGame site
30 August12:00 p.m. CEST Israel  Flag of Israel.svg28–20Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Estadio Santo Domingo, Alcorcón
26 September6:00 p.m. CEST Slovakia  Flag of Slovakia.svg0–21 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Stadion Rankhof, Basel
10 October1:00 p.m. CEST Norway  Flag of Norway.svg0–20Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Tsarskoye Selo Stadium, Pushkin
10 October2:00 p.m. CEST Hungary  Flag of Hungary.svg0–56Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Voždovac Stadium, Belgrade
11 October2:00 p.m. CEST Poland  Flag of Poland.svg7–14Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Letní stadion, Pardubice
24 October6:00 p.m. CEST Belgium  Flag of Belgium (civil).svg3–17Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Mandemakers Stadion, Waalwijk

Second round

The second round tournaments were played in 2016. As runner-up and third in the B Group Tournament in 2013, Italy and Great Britain earned a spot as the host nation of one of the tournaments.

Tournament in Italy

DateKickoffAwayScoreHomeGame site
Semifinals
2 September2:00 p.m. CEST Israel  Flag of Israel.svg10–40Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Stadio G. Teghil, Lignano Sabbiadoro
2 September7:00 p.m. CEST Switzerland  Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg0–17Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Stadio G. Teghil, Lignano Sabbiadoro
Classification game
4 September3:00 p.m. CEST Israel  Flag of Israel.svg0–51Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Stadio G. Teghil, Lignano Sabbiadoro
Final
4 September7:00 p.m. CEST Serbia  Flag of Serbia.svg14–17Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Stadio G. Teghil, Lignano Sabbiadoro

Tournament in Great Britain

DateKickoffAwayScoreHomeGame site
Semifinals
16 September Russia  Flag of Russia.svg3–30Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Sixways Stadium, Worcester
16 September Netherlands  Flag of the Netherlands.svg13–20Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Classification game
18 September Russia  Flag of Russia.svg6–17Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Sixways Stadium, Worcester
Final
18 September Czech Republic  Flag of the Czech Republic.svg13–38Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Sixways Stadium, Worcester

Third round

Italy and Great Britain, as the winners of the tournaments in Italy and Great Britain, were respectively assigned to play against Sweden and Denmark (fifth and sixth place at the 2014 EFAF Championship), with the winners advancing to the 2018 tournament.

In June 2017, Italy qualified for the final tournament [1] as only one of the four teams without any match played. Finland, who was already qualified, did not appear on the schedule and no reasons were given.

By March 2018, Sweden, Denmark, and Great Britain had advanced to the final tournament. Germany and Italy were not on the list. According to American Football International the reason for Germany not joining was due to the teams in the German Football League voting not to change the league schedule to accommodate the European Championships. [2]

Teams

Venue

All games were played at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion in Vantaa, Finland.

Vantaa
Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion
Capacity: 4,700
Pohjola stadion.jpg

Group stages

Group A

Standings

Team W L Pct PF PA PD
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 201.0008116+63
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 110.5003361−28
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 020.0003570−35

Schedule

Quarter1234Total
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 01462040
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 078015

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 29 July 2018
  • Game time: 16:00 EEST
  • Game attendance: 502
  • Referee: Øyvind Løken
  • Box score
Quarter1234Total
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1400620
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 0717630

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 31 July 2018
  • Game time: 16:00 EEST
  • Game attendance: 347
  • Referee: Bård Beylich
  • Box score
Quarter1234Total
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 30003
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 21107341

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 2 August 2018
  • Game time: 16:00 EEST
  • Game attendance: 512
  • Referee: Øyvind Løken
  • Box score

Group B

Standings

Team W L Pct PF PA PD
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 201.0006323+40
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 110.5004228+14
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 020.0001670−54

Schedule

Quarter1234Total
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 07007
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 7210028

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 29 July 2018
  • Game time: 20:00 EEST
  • Game attendance: 1650
  • Referee: Bård Beylich
  • Box score
Quarter1234Total
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 14147742
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 33309

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 31 July 2018
  • Game time: 20:00 EEST
  • Game attendance: 428
  • Referee: Øyvind Løken
  • Box score
Quarter1234Total
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 007714
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 0701421

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 2 August 2018
  • Game time: 20:00 EEST
  • Game attendance: 2518
  • Referee: Bård Beylich
  • Box score

Finals

5th place game
Quarter1234Total
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 7712733
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 008816

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 4 August 2018
  • Game time: 11:00 EEST
  • Game weather: Sunny, +25°C
  • Game attendance: 303
  • Referee: Flag of Finland.svg Veikko Lamminsalo
  • TV: YLE Areena
  • Box score
Game information
Bronze medal game
Quarter1234Total
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 0615021
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 7771435

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 4 August 2018
  • Game time: 15:00 EEST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, +24°C
  • Game attendance: 1,984
  • Referee: Flag of Norway.svg Bård Beylich
  • TV: YLE Areena
  • Box score
Game information
Final
Quarter1234Total
Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France 7014728
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 0140014

at Myyrmäen jalkapallostadion, Vantaa

  • Date: 4 August 2018
  • Game time: 18:00 EEST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, +24°C
  • Game attendance: 1,757
  • Referee: Flag of Norway.svg Øyvind Løken
  • TV: YLE Areena
  • Box score
Game information

See also

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. American Football International. 28 March 2018, retrieved on 1 August 2018. http://www.americanfootballinternational.com/german-american-football-clubs-will-not-change-schedule-to-accommodate-ifaf-european-championships/