NFL decides to end its European league
FRANKFURT, Germany – After 16 years in Europe, the NFL shut down its developmental league Friday.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it was strictly business, insisting that after “significant investment” it was time to close NFL Europa and concentrate internationally on regular-season games outside the United States.
The league reportedly was losing about $30 million a season. Five of the league’s six teams were in Germany, with the other in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The announcement came less than a week after the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in the World Bowl championship in Frankfurt before a crowd of 48,125.
NFL team owners decided in October to play up to two regular-season games each season outside the United States. The first such game is Oct. 28 in London between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants.
The league said it is looking toward other regular-season games in Germany, Mexico and Canada, with Germany a strong candidate for 2008.
The league began in 1991 as the World League of American Football, with 10 teams from the United States and Europe, spreading from Scotland to Spain. After closing for two seasons in 1993 and 1994, the league returned with six European teams and retained the same format until the end.
The league was used by NFL teams to test young talent and produced players such as quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to the 2000 Super Bowl championship and won two NFL MVP awards; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme; and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.
NFL Europa managing director Uwe Bergheim said the league had succeeded in establishing a fan base for football in important European markets.
“Despite the great support of fans, business partners and the cities where we were active, we decided that it was time to change the strategy,” Bergheim said.
The German teams were in Berlin, Hamburg, Duesseldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt. Some drew strong crowds, especially Frankfurt, and broad newspaper coverage.
The spectators liked the party atmosphere in the stadiums, much more relaxed than soccer games with their often rowdy fans.
But the league got little television exposure locally.
“The disappointment and the frustration are great,” Hamburg general manager Kathrin Platz said.