ASVZ Blackbirds win Champions Bowl: first Swiss European title in flag football

Illustration generated for this article

The ASVZ Blackbirds triumph at the 2026 Champions Bowl, winning the first historic European flag football title for a Swiss team.

Context

The ASVZ Blackbirds of Zurich won the Champions Bowl 2026, the leading European tournament for flag football clubs. It is the first success of a Swiss team in the competition. The final, played on October 11 in Poreč, Croatia, ended 46-14 against Molosses Flag Asnières, a team from the Paris region.

The tournament ran from October 9-11 and the Blackbirds were unbeaten. After finishing in first place in both group stages, the Zurich team beat the Kranjski Jazbeci, from Slovenia, and the Italian Parma Panthers in the quarterfinals.

In the end, the Blackbirds' defense intercepted six passes: two apiece for Claudio Ferrari and for the brothers Justin and Oliver Verhoek. Attacking quarterback Dennis Sieger threw six touchdowns and scored another on the run; Frédéric Eppisser received four of the touchdown passes. The Blackbirds also conceded fewer points than all other teams in the men's competition.

"This title is the reward for years of hard work. When we founded the club, almost ten years ago, we would not have dared to dream of such a result, "said player-coach Fabiano Piccinno. "In the final we played an almost perfect game. I'm incredibly proud of this team. ”

Operational details

For the ASVZ Blackbirds it is the eighth participation in the Champions Bowl. In 2024 they finished in second place and in 2025 in third. The club, founded in 2017, also won six national titles and also won the shortened Covid season, played without an official championship.

The result comes on the eve of flag football's Olympic debut in Los Angeles 2028. The non-contact discipline will be part of the Olympic programme for the first time.

Results and schedule: Champions Bowl 2026

Key points

Statistics: BreakAway

Photographic material: press folder

Source: Football Flag / Swiss American Football Verband (SAFV) press release, 13 October 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions
Which team won the 2026 Champions Bowl in flag football?
Zurich's ASVZ Blackbirds won the Champions Bowl 2026, defeating France's Molosses Flag Asnières 46-14 in the final. It is the first success in the competition for a Swiss team, achieved at the end of a tournament held in Poreč, Croatia, from October 9 to 11.
In what year was the ASVZ Blackbirds flag football club founded?
The ASVZ Blackbirds club was founded in 2017. Before winning the 2026 Champions Bowl, the Zurich team had participated in the European tournament eight times, finishing second in 2024 and third in 2025, as well as winning six national titles.
How did the ASVZ Blackbirds perform in the final phase of the Croatian tournament?
The ASVZ Blackbirds remained undefeated throughout the tournament. After dominating the group stage, they eliminated the Slovenian team Kranjski Jazbeci in the quarterfinals and the Italian team Parma Panthers in the semifinals, ultimately prevailing in the final with an almost perfect defensive and offensive performance.
Which Italian teams did the ASVZ Blackbirds face on their path to victory?
In their unbeaten run to the European title, the ASVZ Blackbirds faced and defeated the Parma Panthers in the semifinals, the Italian representatives in the competition. Subsequently, the Zurich team triumphed in the final against the French side Molosses Flag Asnières.
When will flag football make its Olympic debut?
Flag football will make its official debut in the Olympic program at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. This non-contact sport, which saw the Blackbirds triumph at the continental level in 2026, will thus become part of the Olympics for the first time in history.

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