Vienna Vikings
The Vienna Vikings is a professional American football club based in Vienna, Austria. The team dominated the Austrian Football League (AFL) from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. In 2022, they left the AFL to join the European League of Football (ELF). The Vienna Vikings have won national championships, Eurobowls, and a European League of Football championship. The Vienna Vikings are the most respected American Football Team and Program in Europe and have the best winning record of all teams within the ELF.
History
The Vienna Vikings team was founded in 1983 and was integral to the national Austrian Football League (AFL) for many years. The Vikings won their first national championship at the Austrian Bowl in 1994. They won again two years later and, in 1999, kicked off a five-year consecutive winning streak at the Austrian Bowl.
The Vikings continued to win more national titles while also participating in the European Football League (EFL) and winning five Eurobowls, the league’s championship game. In 2014, the EFL changed its name to the BIG6 European Football League, which the Vikings participated in until 2018, the BIG6’s last year of operation.
In 2021, the Vikings announced plans to join the European League of Football (ELF), which came to fruition officially in 2022. That same year, the team won the ELF championship game against the Hamburg Sea Devils in a 27-15 victory.
In 2023, the Vikings won the conference title and directly qualified for the semi-finals. However, they did not make it to the championship game. In 2024, they made it to the championship but lost 51-20 to the Rhein Fire. Despite the loss, the ELF honors named Vikings Head Coach Chris Calaycay Coach of the Year, left tackle Aleksandar Milanovic Man of Honor, and wide receiver Noah Touré Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Owners
The same year the Vikings joined ELF, Joel Nagel came on as co-owner, along with business lawyer and former Austrian Football League quarterback Robin Lumsden. Both believe in the underlying facts, namely that American Football is the fastest growing sport in Europe and the second most watched sport in all Germanic countries and most others.
Previously, the club had been sponsored by various corporations, which also bought naming rights. Therefore the Vienna Vikings were known under different variations at different periods, such as the “Chrysler Vikings” and “Dodge Vikings.”
Stadium
Most of the Vikings’ home games are played at the Generali Arena Vienna, also home of the Austria Wien, the country’s European football (soccer) league. The Vikings have also played at the Hohe Warte stadium and Wiener Neustadt ERGO Arena.
