Panthers Wrocław

Panthers Wrocław
Current season
Panthers Wrocław logo
Logo
General information
Founded2005, reorganized 2013
StadiumStadion Olimpijski
HeadquarteredPoland Wrocław, Poland
ColoursBlue, black, white
     
Websitepantherswroclaw.com
Personnel
Head coachDave Likins
League / conference affiliations
Polish American Football League (PLFA) (2014–2017)

Central European Football League (2017–2020)

  • Western Conference (2017–2018)
  • Eastern Conference (2019)

American Football League (LFA) (2018–2020) European League of Football (2021–2025)

  • Northern Conference (2021–2022)
  • Eastern Conference (2023–2025)

American Football League Europe (2026-present)

  • South/East Conference (2026-present)
Championships
Polish Bowl: 4
2016, 2017, 2019, 2020
IFAF Europe Champions League: 1
2016

The Panthers Wrocław is an American football team based in Wrocław, Poland, that competes in the American Football League Europe. The team is a result of a merger of Giants Wrocław and Devils Wrocław.

Previously, they played in domestic leagues PLFA until 2017 and in the LFA (2018–2020); and in international leagues IFAF Europe Champions League (2016) and CEFL (2017–2019). They won the Polish Bowl four times and the IFAF Europe Champions League in 2016.

History

The team was founded in 2013 by a merger of two PLFA teams, Giants Wrocław and Devils Wrocław. In 2014, the club played in the Polish Bowl for the first time, where they lost to Seahawks Gdynia. In 2016, the Panthers dominated every game and won their first Championship. The Panthers won the title by defeating Seahawks, 56–13. After the Panthers won also the 2017 Polish Bowl, the team left the Polish American Football League and joined the new Liga Futbolu Amerykańskiego. In first two seasons in LFA, Panthers won every game in regular season, lost Polish Bowl XIII to Lowlanders Białystok 14–13 in 2018 and won Polish Bowl XIV to Lowlanders 28–14 (both final games were played at Wrocław Olympic Stadium).

The Panthers also became the first Polish team to win the IFAF Europe Champions League.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Jakub Samel was named new head coach of the Panthers Wrocław. He is the first Polish head coach in club history. It was also announced that the club would be one of the first 8 to join the new European League of Football that is set to start in June 2021.

American Football League Europe (2026–present)

Panthers Wrocław were one of eight founding members of the European Football Alliance, which was created due to growing dissatisfaction with the league's management. After the conclusion of the 2025 ELF season, the EFA, now numbering 11 of the league's 16 teams, announced intentions to leave the ELF and form a new league for 2026. However, a split among the EFA franchises led to a separate league known as the American Football League Europe, with the Panthers among those defecting from the EFA to join the AFLE.

Panthers Wrocław finished the league's inaugural season with a 10-2 record, reaching the first-ever AFLE Gold Bowl, where they fell to the Vienna Vikings 68-5. Panthers' quarterback Jameson Wang was named the 2026 AFLE Most Valuable Player.

Uniforms

The Panthers Wrocław's Panther blue home jersey has black numbers, letter outlines and vertical stripes on opposite sides. The away kit consists of a white jersey with dark blue letters and numbers that have orange outlines. Players wear white socks, black helmets with a panther head logo, and black pants to all games.

Season-by-season records

Domestic

Season League Finish Wins Losses Postseason Result Ref
2014 TopLiga 1st 8 2 1–1 Lost Polish Bowl (Seahawks) 41–32
2015 1st 10 0 1–1 Lost Polish Bowl (Seahawks) 28–21
2016 1st 7 1 2–0 Won Polish Bowl (Seahawks) 56–13
2017 1st 6 0 2–0 Won Polish Bowl (Seahawks) 55–21
2018 LFA1 1st 8 0 1–1 Lost Polish Bowl (Lowlanders) 14–13
2019 1st 8 0 2–0 Won Polish Bowl (Lowlanders) 28–14
2020 1st 8 0 2–0 Won Polish Bowl (Lowlanders) 48–12

International

Season League Finish Wins Losses Postseason Result Ref
2017 CEFL 2nd (Western) 1 1 DNQ
2018 2nd (Western) 1 1 DNQ
2019 2nd (Eastern) 2 1 DNQ
2020 Not held
2021 ELF 2nd (North) 6 4 0–1 Lost Division Finals (Sea Devils) 30–27
2022 3rd (North) 5 7 DNQ
2023 3rd (Eastern) 8 4 0–1 Lost Wild Card (Stuttgart Surge 14–37)
2024 2nd (Eastern) 6 6 DNQ
2025 3rd (East) 5 7
2026 AFLE 2nd (South/East) 10 2 TBD

Honours

Players

Honor Player Name Season
AFLE Most Valuable Player United States Jameson Wang 2026

The Crew Wrocław/Giants Wrocław

Devils Wrocław

References

  1. ↑ "Panthers Football". Panthers Wrocław (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  2. ↑ Panthers w finale Ligi Mistrzów!
  3. ↑ Panthers królami Europy!
  4. ↑ Thelen, Friedhelm (2025-07-05). "Neuer Verband: Rhein Fire sieht ELF-Saison in großer Gefahr". www.nrz.de (in German). Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  5. ↑ Redaktion (2025-12-02). "AFLE präsentiert neues europäisches Football-Projekt: „The League Europe" soll Stabilität bringen". Österreichs Football Portal (in German). Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  6. ↑ "Vienna Vikings dominate Panthers Wrocław to win first AFLE Gold Bowl". www.aflepro.com. 2026-09-06. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  7. ↑ "AFLE Honors presented by CITIZEN 2026 crowns the best of the inaugural season". www.aflepro.com. 2026-09-06. Retrieved 2026-09-07.
  8. ↑ "PLFA".
  9. ↑ "PLFA".
  10. ↑ SuperFinałowa dominacja Panthers
  11. ↑ Perfekcyjny sezon Panthers
  12. ↑ "Pantery upolowane. Lowlanders mistrzami Polski!". Przegląd Sportowy (in Polish). 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  13. ↑ Media, Wirtualna Polska (2019-06-29). "Polish Bowl XIV. Tytuł wraca do Wrocławia. Panthers lepsi od Lowlanders Białystok – WP SportoweFakty". sportowefakty.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  14. ↑ "SPEKTAKULARNY FINAŁ POLISH BOWL XV WE WROCŁAWIU!". Przegląd Sportowy (in Polish). 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  15. ↑ "O włos od finału European League of Football. Koniec bardzo udanego sezonu". Panthers Wrocław (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  16. ↑ "AFLE Honors presented by CITIZEN 2026 crowns the best of the inaugural season". www.aflepro.com. 2026-09-06. Retrieved 2026-09-07.