Germans Sven Breidenbach and Niklas Liesen headed to CFL combine

FRANKFURT, Germany – Offensive lineman Sven Breidenbach and linebacker Niklas Liesen have been extended invitations to showcase their skills for Canadian Football League (CFL) general managers, coaches and scouts in Toronto at the CFL Combine from March 26-28. The pair were among 37 players who participated in the CFL Global Combine in Germany, conducted in association with the German Football League (GFL).

“This event was a great way to finish the first month of the Global Combine tour and a terrific reminder of how far we’ve come in the past 12 months as partners with the GFL,” said CFL Chief Financial Officer and Head of Football Operations, Greg Dick. “We’re so grateful to have the GFL by our sides in growing this game globally.”

“We saw a strong competition for the spots in the main CFL Combine,” said Peter Springwald, the German federation’s Vice-president of Sports Operations. “All the players were extremely well prepared and lived up to the high standards of German American football.”

GLOBAL COMBINES
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Carsten Dalkowski, Chairman of the GFL, added, “We are proud to send Sven Breidenbach, Niklas Liesen and additional GFL players to Toronto after Sebastian Sagne and Micky Kyei were selected out of the Helsinki Combine.”

During the 2019 season, CFL rosters featured, for the first time ever, one designated ‘global player’ from outside the U.S. and Canada on each team’s active roster and as many as two more on their practice rosters. In 2020, the number of global players per team will increase to two on the active roster and up-to-three on the practice roster, with as many as 45 global players competing in the league.

The full list of global players invited to Toronto will be announced following the completion of the 10 Global Combines. The 2020 CFL Global Draft is slated for April 16.

EARLY GLOBAL PLAYER INVITEES TO THE CFL COMBINE

CFL GLOBAL COMBINE SCHEDULE