Prague Lions

Prague Lions
Based in	Prague, Czech Republic
Stadium	Stadium FK Viktoria Žižkov
Established	1991
Division	Eastern Conference
Colors	Red, White  
Website	https://lions.cz/

Uniform of the Prague Lions football team in 2024.

The Prague Lions are an American football team based in Prague, Czech Republic, that plays in the European League of Football (ELF) since the 2023 season.

History

The Lions were founded in 1991 by Martin Vybořil. Together with the Prague Panthers, the Brno Alligators and the Ostrava Cobras, the Lions founded the Česká asociace amerického fotbalu (ČAAF), which has organized the Česká liga amerického fotbalu ČLAF since 1994. In each of the first two years, the Lions were runners-up behind the Panthers. It was not until 1998 that the first championship title was won. After three more losses in the Czech Bowls in 1999, 2000 and 2003 against the Panthers, the Lions won the title three times in a row from 2004 to 2006.

After three more Czech Bowl appearances, each lost to the Panthers, disputes arose in the club in 2009. As a result, most of the players moved to the newly formed Prague Black Hawks. The Black Hawks merged with the Panthers - who had also played in the Austrian AFL since 2010 - to form the Prague Black Panthers in 2013.

The Lions had to build a new team. In 2013 and 2016 the Lions reached the Czech Bowl again, but both times lost to the Black Panthers, at that time series champions. The Lions competed internationally for the first time in 2016. However, in the 2016 IFAF Europe Champions League, they only managed two losses against the Triangle Razorbacks and the Panthers Wrocław.

With head coach Zach Harrod hired in 2018, the Lions became one of the best teams in the ČLAF. They won the Czech championship in 2019 and again in 2022. At the international level, they entered the final of the CEFL Cup in 2022, but lost to the Fehérvár Enthroners 20:24.

On September 23, 2022, the Lions announced their entry into the European League of Football. They also continue to field a second team in the 2nd Czech League. The ELF team will play in the Stadium FK Viktoria Žižkov in Prague with a capacity of 3,327 spectators.

2023 Season

Before the eighth matchday of the 2023 season, it became public that the Lions were in a financial problem situation. As one of the consequences of this was that salary payments were not being made, the players decided in a vote against holding the away game against the Fehérvér Enthroners.

A few days later, on July 25, both the Lions and the ELF announced that the game operation in the 2023 season was secured. However, in response to the situation, changes to the team's internal structures were announced, most notably the departure of Zach Harrod and the move away from the FK Viktoria Žižkov stadium as the home venue. The Sports Center Hostivař of Charles University, where the Lions have already played in the ČLAF, has already been announced as one of the alternative venues. Harrod was succeeded as head coach by defensive coordinator Dan Disch. Furthermore, some players announced that they do not want to be part of the team any longer.

The Lions finished their first ELF season in last place in their conference with just one win.

2024 Season

Before the end of the 2023 season, Mason Parker took over the Lions as the new owner and general manager. The pool of investors includes Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil and DeVante Parker, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. The franchise's new branding was unveiled in February 2024.

In December 2023, Dan Disch, the existing interim coach, was confirmed as head coach for the 2024 season and a new offensive coordinator, Ed Stults, was presented. A number of local players also decided to play for the franchise in 2024. Karé Lyles, a former Division I athlete who has already reported for the NFL Network and was active in the GFL, was signed as quarterback

Stadium

The FK Viktoria Žižkov stadium is a soccer stadium in the Czech capital Prague. The soccer club FK Viktoria Žižkov traditionally plays its home games here on Sundays at 10:15am. The facility is located in the middle of a residential area in the densely populated Žižkov district. It is located only a few hundred meters from the main train station Praha hlavní nádraží and the TV tower Žižkov. From its opening until 2011, the venue was called Stadium Viktoria. From 2011 to 2014, it bore the sponsor name eFotbal Aréna, after the Czech soccer internet portal eFotbal.cz. Currently, the Viktorka holds 5600 spectators in seats.

Players

Top Players

Quarterback	Year	G	COMP	ATT	CMP%	YDS	TD	INT	SCK
Shazzon Mumphrey	2023	4	50	120	41.7	593	5	5	3
Tyquell Fields	2023	4	60	109	55.0	477	0	3	5

Receiver	Year	G	RRC	TGT	YDS	CTCH %	YPG	YPC	LNG	TD	TD/G
Victor Wharton III	2023	4	21	25	296	84.0	74.0	14.1	67	2	0.5
Lukáš Kadlec	2023	10	19	29	245	65.5	24.5	12.9	70	1	0.1

Running	Year	G	ATT	YDS	AVG	YPG	LNG	TD	TD/G	FMB	FML
Adam Žouželka	2023	7	78	286	3.7	40.9	47	4	0.6	1	0
Tyquell Fields	2023	4	47	203	4.3	50.8	38	2	0.5	3	0

2024 Roster

2024 Prague Lions roster

	Quarterbacks  1 Kare Lyles 🇺🇸 Running backs 11 Adam Žouželka 🇨🇿 21 Meril Zero 🇨🇿 35 Adam Marco Kárník 🇨🇿   Tyrese Johnson-Fisher 🇬🇧 🇯🇲  Wide receivers  6 Travier Fields-Jackson 🇺🇸  7 Radim Kalous 🇨🇿 12 Marek Suchý 🇨🇿 13 Nicolas Kárník 🇨🇿 14 David Lukšan WR 🇨🇿 17 Lukáš Kadlec 🇨🇿 18 Filip Kažmír 🇨🇿 19 Josef Janota 🇨🇿 44 Michal Krátký 🇨🇿 82 Ondrej Chmela 🇨🇿 87 Jakub Čermák 🇨🇿 Tight ends 45 Lukáš Lexa 🇨🇿 84 Martin Havelka 🇨🇿 88 Pavel Ševeček 🇨🇿 89 Robert Valík 🇨🇿		Offensive linemen 51 Jakub Králík 🇨🇿 57 Daniel Bria 🇨🇿 65 Oliver Ďurč 🇸🇰 HG 66 Lawrence Cornwall-Baptiste 🇬🇧  67 Jan Rauš 🇨🇿 69 Jaroslav Hrdlička 🇨🇿 70 Richard Stříž 🇨🇿 73 Marek Vodolan 🇨🇿 74 Adam Masopust 🇨🇿 75 Mathias Roll Hummelmose 🇩🇰  77 David Šaněk C Defensive linemen 23 Jakub Ječný 🇨🇿 32 Antonín Kvapil 🇨🇿 34 James Brooks DT 🇺🇸 43 Marek Daník DE 🇨🇿 62 David Vrba 🇨🇿 90 Jan Starý DE 🇨🇿 91 Honza Lipták DT 🇨🇿 93 Daniel Pohořalý 🇨🇿 97 Jan Vitvar DT 🇨🇿 98 Ladislav Pulec 🇨🇿 99 Jakub Smutný 🇨🇿		Linebackers  0 Oliver Noah Obolela Vargas 🇫🇷  40 Tomáš Pazourek 🇨🇿 52 Šimon Škrabiš 🇨🇿 54 Kamel Eltifi 🇨🇿 55 Martin Mašek 🇨🇿 Defensive backs  2 Peter Lundström 🇫🇮   3 Daniel Wright 🇺🇸  4 Daniel Feuereisel 🇨🇿  5 Aleksandar Borković SS 🇷🇸   8 Jan Krs 🇨🇿 10 Lukáš Rokošný 🇨🇿 22 Charun Jachjajev CB 🇨🇿 24 Lukáš Korim 🇸🇰 HG 25 Martin Daňha 🇨🇿 26 Štĕpán Švec CB 🇨🇿 30 Peter Števaňák 🇨🇿 31 Leoš Horák 🇨🇿 32 Antonín Kvapil 🇨🇿 33 Aleš Drhlík 🇨🇿 37 Jan Telnar 🇨🇿 Special teams 80 Marek Hruboň K/P 🇨🇿				Rookies in italics Roster updated May 10, 2024 4 A-import, 6 E-import, 53 homegrown 63 active, 0 practice squad

2023 Roster

2023 Prague Lions roster

	Quarterbacks  1 Tyquell Fields {{{4}}} 🇺🇸  7 Volodymyr Hrynkiv {{{4}}} UKR HG Running backs 11 Adam Žouželka {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 21 Samuel Oram-Jones {{{4}}} 🇬🇧 28 David Kilián {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 39 Vojta Kolář {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 Wide receivers  3 Kobe Miranda {{{4}}} 🇺🇸  9 David Hlaváček {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 12 Marek Suchý {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 13 Nicolas Karnik {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 14 Brandon Butler Jr DB {{{4}}} 🇩🇪 17 Lukáš Kadlec {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 19 Josef Janota {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 Tight ends 84 Robert Valík {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 88 Pavel Ševeček {{{4}}} 🇨🇿		Offensive linemen 62 Daniel Bria {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 69 David Chludil {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 71 Lino Taumako {{{4}}} 🇫🇷 73 Marek Vodolan {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 74 Adam Masopust {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 77 David Šaněk C {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 78 Mikel Gómez Barroso {{{4}}} 🇪🇸   Jan Čermák {{{4}}} 🇨🇿   Alexej Kurbatov {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 Defensive linemen 34 James Brooks {{{4}}} 🇺🇸 40 Tomáš Pazourek {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 49 Matouš Malec {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 50 Sergiy Login {{{4}}} UKR 90 Jan Starý {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 91 Libor Boucký {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 95 Kamil Rusín {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 96 Daniel Blahovec {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 97 Jakub Smutný {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 98 Jan Uhlík {{{4}}} 🇨🇿		Linebackers 18 Florian Hirsch {{{4}}} 🇦🇹 23 Jakub Ječný {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 24 Richardson Evan {{{4}}} 🇺🇸 HG 43 Marek Daník {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 44 Kamel Eltifi {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 55 Martin Mašek {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 Defensive backs  2 Terrance Newell II {{{4}}} 🇺🇸  4 Jakub Brejcha {{{4}}} 🇨🇿  5 Atilla Işık {{{4}}} 🇹🇷  6 Daniel Feuereisel {{{4}}} 🇨🇿  8 Jan Krs {{{4}}} 🇨🇿  10 Lukáš Rokošný {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 25 Lukáš Růžek {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 26 Štěpán Švec {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 27 Petr Louda {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 32 Leoš Horák {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 33 Daniel Šejbl {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 Special teams 80 Marek Hruboň K {{{4}}} 🇨🇿				Reserve lists 31 Aleksandar Borković SS {{{4}}} 🇷🇸  3 Bradley Jones QB {{{4}}} 🇺🇸 Practice squad 16 David Lukšan WR {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 67 Jiří Cicvárek C {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 70 Michal Knotek C {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 69 Jaroslav Hrdlička OT {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 20 Jan Miklica OLB {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 47 Petr Řepík MLB {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 22 Charun Jachjajev CB {{{4}}} 🇨🇿 Rookies in italics Roster updated 18. August 2023 4 A-import, 6 E-import, 42 homegrown 52 active, 7 practice squad

Staff

Head Coaches

Name	Tenure	Record		Titles
		W	L
Zach Harrod	– 25 July 2023	1	6	–
Dan Disch	25 July 2023 –	0	5	–

2024 Staff

2024 Prague Lions staff

	Front office Owner – Dave Drever President – Michal Kozlíček General Manager - Mason Parker Director of Football Operations - David Zamorano Head coach Head coach – Dan Disch Asst. Head coach – Miloš Kalina Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ed Stults Quarterbacks – Clark Hazlett Running backs – Reggie Mitchell Wide receivers – Richard Burnoski Tight ends – Jason Bergeron Offensive line –			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dan Disch Defensive line – n/a Linebackers – Miloš Kalina Defensive backs – n/a Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Reggie Mitchell updated February 26, 2024

Total record

	Games	Win	Loss	Win %	P+	P-	PDiff
Prague Lions	12	1	11	0.083	155	441	-286

Record per oppenent

	Games	Win	Loss	Win %	P+	P-	PDiff
Leipzig Kings	2	1	1	0.500	50	18	+32
Cologne Centurions	2	0	2	0.000	23	60	-37
Fehérvár Enthroners	2	0	2	0.000	3	54	-51
Panthers Wrocław	2	0	2	0.000	36	102	-66
Berlin Thunder	2	0	2	0.000	13	83	-70
Vienna Vikings	2	0	2	0.000	30	124	-94

Source: https://elfdata.eu/