American Football League Europe Appoints Andreas Nommensen as their First Commissioner
The American Football League Europe (AFLE) has appointed Andreas Nommensen as the first Commissioner in the league’s history. With this decision, the AFLE is sending a clear message: the sporting face of the league rests in the hands of a proven football expert who has played a defining role in shaping European professional football in recent years. Nommensen thereby continues a consistent path – from player to head coach to the top of a professional league.
A Career Across Every Level of the Game
Andreas Nommensen combines a rare wealth of experience: player, head coach, executive – and now Commissioner. The Hamburg native played tight end for the Hamburg Blue Devils from 1998 to 2006, winning the Eurobowl in 1998 and three German championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. In 2007, he was also part of the German national team’s roster at the World Championship.
After his playing career, Nommensen moved into coaching early and with conviction – and to this day he can still regularly be found on the sideline. As offensive line coach of the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes (2009–2014), assistant coach of the Hamburg Huskies and offensive coordinator of the Elmshorn Fighting Pirates – with whom he celebrated promotion to Germany’s top division in 2019 – he further built his reputation as a meticulous worker and offensive strategist. In parallel, he gained international experience as a member of the coaching staff of the French national team, winning gold at the 2017 World Games and the European Championship in 2018.
Head Coach in the European Predecessor League
When the European predecessor league was founded, Nommensen took on the role of head coach for a Hamburg franchise during the 2021 season and led the team to the championship game in its very first season. As one of the few German-speaking head coaches, he helped shape the early identity of European professional football – an experience that uniquely qualifies him for his leadership role at the AFLE today. He knows the engine room of a professional league from the coaches’ booth as well as from the league office.
Earlier on, Nommensen already held responsibility for core sporting matters as Director of Sports – from game operations and rule-making to coach and roster standards, officiating and competition structures. In this role, he gained comprehensive insight into the operational and strategic work of a Commissioner, working closely with franchises, coaches and league leadership. With his appointment, a circle now closes: a sporting architect becomes the AFLE’s first chief representative.
Values as a Compass: Honesty, Reliability, Transparency
The AFLE was founded with the ambition of placing professional American football in Europe on a new foundation. Honesty, reliability and transparency are not buzzwords, but the league’s selfunderstanding – values that Nommensen has lived consistently throughout his career and that will define his tenure as Commissioner.
“I take on this role with great respect – for the sport, for the players, for the coaches, and above all for the fans who love European American football. It is important to me that the AFLE is a league you can rely on – on and off the field. Honesty and transparency are our working principle, not our marketing. The league belongs to the sport – and that is what I am committed to,” Andreas Nommensen said about his new position.
The AFLE kicks off its inaugural season on May 23, 2026, with eight franchises from seven nations. With Nommensen’s appointment as Commissioner, the league places a sporting figurehead at its helm – someone who knows the game from the line of scrimmage to the league office. The highlight of the first season is the AFLE Gold Bowl on September 6, 2026, in Duisburg.
