France has been on a rapid rise across Europe as prime developer of real American football talent. In the summer of 2010 France made it to the final of the European Championships losing to Germany after having beaten Sweden and Great Britain. Recent International success for the clubs in France is testimony to the development of the league as well. Paris and Thonon runners up in 2009 EFL to the Swarco Raiders from western Austria and EFAF to the Prague Panthers display the impact that French teams are having on the competitive European scene. 
This year expect more of the same with the French Champions L’Amiens Spartans playing in the Eurobowl, and the 3rd place team Thonon Black Panthers and 4th place St. Ouen Cougars in the EFAF cup.Going 11-1 last year and winning the championship of France were the L’Amiens Spartiates hailing from about an hours drive north of Paris, France. They have added to their ranks a former St. Louis Rams player in Sebastian Sejean. Sejean started his career in
Amiens, spent 4 years at Canada’s Laval University before joining the Rams practice squad in 2008. Alongside Sejean will be longtime European football veteran, QB Perez Mattison. After finishing his career at East Carolina Mattison brought his game to Europe. He is entering his 10th season in France, has thrown for over 15,000 yards and 100 tds making him one of the most prolific players in the league this year. He’ll also be handling playcalling duties for the Spartans. The 2011 Spartiates are going to be on a new journey searching for more of last year’s luster both in repeating the French title win, and for the first time in the Eurobowl. They’ll face last year’s 3rd place team in Spain, the Badalona Dracs, who thus far look to be much improved starting the season 1-1 including a 50 point drudging of the crosstown Barcelona Bufals. The only team to beat the Spartiates in 2010, the St. Ouen Cougars in the last week of the regular season 13-22. Florian Thiery reported to europlayers.com that in France, 2011 looks to be the year of the Spartan once more.Also reported on europlayers.com the Paris Flash lost the French title last season for the first time since 2005. Along with their 5 year reign atop the French 1st division, they had also risen to the #2 ranking in Europe once, losing to the Innsbruck Raiders in the 2009 Eurobowl final. The Flash won’t be around this season to represent international excellence as they have elected to forego the Eurobowl and EFAF tournaments; however, they will be very much in the hunt to rise to the top of the league in France. Finishing 7-5 last season is not the dominance that we’re used to seeing from the Paris squad. They went 1-2 against
the Thonon Black Panthers, but beat them when it counted, in the playoffs. They had a tough time against the other two title contenders in France going a totoal of 1-4 against Thonon and Amiens, but a perfect 6-0 against other French teams. Looking for more in 2011 the Flash have revamped the offense with the signing of head coach Camron Olson and QB Lyle Moevao, as well as bringing in a stout LB in John Breza. Olson, former coach at Southern and Western Oregon helped lead the Innsbruck Raiders as the QB/WR coach to the 2010 Austrian Final and EFL semifinal. Lyle Moevao, a quarterback from Oregon State, and Breza from Western Oregon (D2) are two signs that the Flash mean business in 2011, more specifically want that trophy back.Another main contributor to the competition in France will the the Thonon Black Panthers. This southeastern French club finished 8-3 in 2010 losing to the Flash in the semifinal 6-28 after having beaten them twice in the regular season by 12 and by 5 as well as entering the playoffs on a 4 game heater (winning streak). Internationally the Panthers found debatable success last year beating the dragons of
Belgrade 55-0, but losing big to the dragons of Vienna just a few weeks later. Imported players for 2011 will be Fred Wells, WR from Northern Michigan (FCS). This is his second season for the Panthers proving that he fits in well not only on the field but socially as well. He scored 11 times last year gaining 919 yards by reception. A second receiving threat is Chris Bergeski a wideout from Southern Connecticut State (D2). This is his first trip over the Atlantic, and should be a highly productive one playing opposite Wells. The Panthers will be a force in 2011.The St. Ouen Cougars had a fair 6-5 French season in 2010. They competed internationally as well but came up short of their goals losing to the Amsterdam Crusaders by a score of 27-14. This season the Cougars have signed QB Kevin Craft of UCLA and OT Chris Werden from Elon University (FCS). Both players have been highly advertised signings who each drew looks from NFL teams last spring. They’ll help the Cougars compete in France, and for another year in the EFAF cup. The Cougars are slated to play the Sollerod Gold Diggers of Denmark and the Cassidy Coventry Jets from Great Britain later this spring.
The Aix-En-Provence Argonauts finished the year 4-6 in 2010 and have brought back QB Adam Kruse for a second stint in France. A graduate of the University of Mary (D2), Kruse played in Finland before joining the Argonauts last year. Also on the team is O-lineman Jonathon Bower a Canadian from McGill University in Montreal. He’ll play both offensive and defensive line for the Argonauts this spring and summer.
Last year the Elancourt Templars were one of two French clubs to win nationally and internationally finishing 6-4 in France and 1-1 in Eurobowl play. They beat the Bergamo Lions of Italy 29-3 and lost to the Valencia Firebats of Spain 35-18 missing out on the quarterfinal round by virtue of a tie-breaker to the Firebats. Key wins inside the French region were against Thonon and St. Ouen as well as losing to the Flash and Spartans by 5 points each.
The Nice Dauphins (Dolphins) and Grenoble Centaurs round out the league this season coming off disappointing 3-7 and 1-9 seasons. Nice has added QB George Hines, North Carolina A&T (FCS) and O-lineman Doug Palmer from East Carolina while the Centaurs have yet to announce any signings for 2011.
An automatic update for you as the French league kicked off this past weekend. The Centaurs have matched last year’s win total coming up with a 28-14 win over those very Dolphins of Nice in the first week. The Flash beat the Cougars from St. Ouen by a point, while the Argonauts and Spartans dominated performances against the Panthers and Templiers. Much, much more can be expected from this and other leagues as we continue on For the Love of the Game, 2011 European football.
After a week off last weekend the Spanish league enters its 3rd week of play with the undefeated Pioners facing this year's expansion club the Las Rozas Black Demons (1-1) from a suburb of Madrid. The Firebats (1-1) are at home in Valencia against the traveling Bufals from Barcelona (0-2). While the Badalona Dracs (1-1) play host to the Osos (Bears) Rivas (1-1) also in Madrid. These two teams will identify themselves either in the top half or the bottom half of the league following this game.
