Hamburg, 2 February 2026. The European League of Football GmbH (ELF) has filed an application with the competent Hamburg District Court for preliminary self-administration proceedings, which has already been confirmed by a court order.
The aim is to realign the ELF economically while continuing to operate and to move into the future in a financially stronger position. In this way, the league aims to secure its long-term competitiveness. A comprehensive restructuring plan has already been developed in recent weeks and is now being implemented as part of the proceedings. In addition, very constructive discussions are already underway with investors, which will now be intensified as part of the proceedings. Match operations for the upcoming season are still planned, and the schedule will be announced shortly.
Zeljko Karajica, CEO of ELF, says: ‘The proceedings are an important step in the right direction: they enable us to strengthen ELF in the long term and give us time to hold the necessary discussions with both our partners and the teams. Fans can look forward to an exciting season. I would like to thank our employees in advance for their trust.’
The advantage of this type of procedure is that business and, therefore, match operations can continue as normal. Employees' wages and salaries are secured in the preliminary proceedings by means of the so-called insolvency money. Subsequently, they will be taken over again by the company itself.
The restructuring has become necessary because planned capital measures could not be implemented as intended, meaning that the financial basis for the upcoming steps was lacking.
The proceedings are being accompanied by a team of experienced and renowned restructuring experts. The management will remain in office as normal. Thorsten Petersen, partner, managing director and solicitor at WallnerWeiß, will take on the role of general representative.
He says: ‘Self-administration gives companies the opportunity to drive necessary changes forward in a legally protected framework in a self-determined manner. Together with the management, we will now implement the measures that have been developed in a targeted manner in order to strengthen ELF's economic basis in the long term.’
Andreas Romey, partner and solicitor at ECKERT, has been appointed provisional administrator by the court. He explains: ‘In my role as provisional administrator, I will work closely with the restructuring team and ensure that the interests of all parties involved, especially the creditors, are protected. The aim is to provide constructive support for the planned restructuring and to work together to secure ELF's future viability.’
Employees have already been informed about the initiation of the proceedings.
About European League of Football GmbH:
The European League of Football stands for the professionalisation and sustainable establishment of American football in Europe. Since its founding in 2021, it has brought together international franchises, top athletes and a unified league concept based on the North American model. With growing media reach and clear structures, the league is setting new standards for the sport in the European market. The ELF's goal is to provide fans, partners and talent with a long-term platform for high-calibre football.