Vienna Vikings HC Chris Calaycay is confident about his team as the playoffs approach and is looking forward to the ELF

Viennese Vikings Head coach Chris Calaycay leads his team to the finish line of the European Football League 2024 season and, as in 2022 and 2023, they are unbeaten with four games to go.

In other words, this is not new territory for Calaycay.

No one has trained the same team in Europe with the same success as the 48-year-old Calaycay. The Willamette University grad took over as head coach of the Vikings in 2007, after initially Vienna on three straight Austrian bowl title as quarterback and served as defensive coordinator for three years.

Since 2007, Vienna remained his home when he was eight Austrian bowls including a triple victory in a row from 2012 to 2014 and five Euro Bowl Title for the powerhouse VikingsOverall, Calaycay has the Austrian bowl 18 times as a player and coach, including 11 titles.

History repeated itself in the ELEVEN Calaycay led his team to the title in their first year in the league in 2022. They reached the semifinals in 2023 and appear to be serious contenders for the crown again in 2024.

In his third season as coach in the ELEVEN, Calaycay is definitely positive about his team’s development and is excited about the future of the league.

AFI: You are by far the longest-tenured head coach in Europe and also the most successful. You started your third season in the ELF with eight consecutive wins. What adjustments do you think you need to make in the last four games?

Calaycay: With the last four games ahead of us, we’re obviously focused on the big game this weekend against Berlin. A win would give us the conference championship and a playoff spot, so that’s the main thing. It would be our third straight conference championship, which would be great. Unfortunately, the last three games are where the off weeks play a factor. We’ve played eight games in a row now, going into our ninth, and we won’t have an off until after our eleventh game, so adjustments are ongoing in terms of dealing with injuries and getting healthy towards the end of the season. We want to be more at our peak towards the end of the season and in the playoffs, so that’s our main focus right now. In the last four games, we want to play at a high level, get the guys back and be healthy for the playoffs.

Photo: Hannes Jirgal

AFI: Since joining the ELF in 2022, you have compiled a record of 32-3 (including playoffs). It’s impossible to point to a single factor, but can you explain how that was possible?

Calaycay: When I look at the 32-3 record, I’m actually a little surprised. Those weren’t easy wins that we’ve had over the years. We’ve battled a lot of injuries like any other team. That’s possible because we approach it like it’s just a game, and we really emphasize that in our practices and in our team mottos. We really just focus on the game that’s in front of us, and we take it week by week. I know that’s a cliche, but it’s helped our guys focus on what’s important, and that’s just what’s in front of us. We can’t control all the other aspects of what’s going on in the league. But the guys believe it’s possible because of the culture that we’ve built here, the veteran leadership that we have here. It’s never about one guy or a few guys. It’s always been about the team, and the guys accept that, and that comes through the veteran leadership that we have.

AFI: Do you think the ELF has improved since you joined the league and if so, how?

Calaycay: Yes, there are big strides being made. I think the ELF is very attractive to fans. It’s very interesting. You’ve seen the advances in television and Game Pass in the early years to spread the game. There’s more social interaction as far as fantasy goes. I think they’re doing a really good job on social media in building the league and promoting the players and I think that’s recognition that the players really deserve. We’ve been playing soccer in Europe for over 40 years and now people can see that there are very talented soccer players and very talented soccer coaches here and I think we need to continue to promote that. And you also see the big stadiums that the teams are playing in and these huge crowds. Even our first two home games of the season when we were able to play at the Generali Arena in Vienna, we had 10,000 fans. The opportunities are there for us. And a lot of that has to do with the growth of the game through the NFL and then the growth of the game in the league. We still need to improve some things in the ELF, but it was a lot of fun for us and the players. We hope to continue to grow this game and the league so that future generations of Austrian And European Football players have a place where they can demonstrate their skills.

AFI: There are some rule differences, including the kickoff rule, which the NFL is now adopting. What do you think of the rules in the league and what changes would you like to see?

Calaycay: Rules come and go. They adapt over the years. NFL also changes the rules every year. I like our kickoff rule. I think it helps protect the players, especially when it comes to concussions. It reduces the long run and the crushing impact. It’s still exciting and we still have kickoff return touchdowns and opportunities to score. I like that rule, but we’ll see changes as the game is constantly changing. We’ll see them in the future and hopefully as the game and the players grow. We’ll see growth all over the ELF and that goes from the organizations to the franchises to the referees to the television coverage. I think there’s a lot of opportunity for this league and a lot of opportunity for the players in this league. I’d like to see it continue to grow and progress, but it’s not an easy process. Yes, we’re in year four, but we’re still a baby league in that regard and we’re still going to have to go through some growing pains. But that’s to be expected and as long as we stay together as a franchise and a league, we can take those steps forward to keep it growing.