International transfers continues all summer as players change clubs and get ready for the new season ahead. This week we take a look at some more big transfers from across Europe.
Zug United poach more World-Class talent
Even more players are heading south to the Swiss League including 2 time World Champion and 2 time Gold Medalist from The World Games, Tobias Gustafsson. Gustafsson, who was named as the World’s best Floorball player by Innebandymagazinet in 2021 has spent the last 7 seasons with Swedish champions Storvreta where in that time time he has won 4 Swedish championships and 1 Champions Cup title. After his whole career in Sweden, Gustafsson joins an already elite squad of players at Zug United, who look extremely dangerous in challenging for the Swiss and Champions Cup title this season. The Swedish captain at the last Men’s World Championships will bring an even greater experience and wealth of talent to Zug who already with players such as Sami Johansson, Miko Kailiala, Albin Sjogren & Robin Nilsberth who alongside several young, promising Swiss players make Zug a formidable side this season. On the Women’s side Zug are also reinforcing by bringing in themselves an international, high level player with Finnish forward Noora Rantanen from 3 in a row Finnish champions TPS. Alongside sister Laura, Noora Rantanen has been a mainstay in the side from Turku over the years representing them since 2016/17 alongside her time in the U19 Finnish national team where Rantanen represented Finland at the U19 WFC in 2018.
Tatran Stresovice host the domestic return of elite Czech players
Despite winning an incredible treble of trophies last season Tatran Stresovice are not resting on their laurels and further reinforce their men’s side with the impressive forward Petr Majer returning back to the Czech Republic after 2 seasons in Finland with Westend Indians. With Indians, Majer reached the semi-finals of the playoffs this past season and had an impressive 46 points in 33 regular season games. He returns home but this time not to previous club Chodov but to city rivals Tatran Stresovice, who will once again look to challenge in all competitions yet again. On the Women’s side Tatran are looking to return to the top step of the Czech Women’s League and reach the finals of the playoffs. They have faltered in the semi-finals the past 4 years in a row in agonising fashion and hope with new signing Michaela Mechlová they can finally get over that hurdle. Mechlová is already at a young age, an experienced defender with many seasons in the top Czech division with Tatran before spending last season at Finnish top division side SB-PRO Nurmijärvi. With a Silver medal at the 2022 Women’s U19 WFC in Katowice and a Bronze at the 2023 Women’s WFC in Singapore Mechlová will bring a winning pedigree back to Tatran with the hopes to overcome the finals hurdle and claim back a Czech Women’s championship that has been several years in the waiting.
Karlstadt IBF stocking up with talent from Turku
After just surviving in the Women’s SSL last season Karlstadt are looking to avoid another close call and the chance to claw their way up the standings this upcoming season. 2 new Finnish signings will hope to change things as FBC Loisto duo Ulla Valtola and Tuulia Lahti. Valtola has already international experience with Finland at the 2023 WFC in Singapore, winning Silver and was the top scorer on her Loisto side this past season helping them to the semi-finals of the playoffs and eventually bronze in the playoffs alongside teammate Lahti. Lahti is a young rising star on the Finnish floorball scene and has also previously represented Finland at U19 level at the 2020 (2021) U19 WFC in Uppsala where Finland beat hosts Sweden to win Gold, their last World Championship title at any level. Alongside Valtola that U19 WFC victory is a highlight in the young career for Lahti and both will hope that Karlstadt can be the start of something new in Sweden. Another mover from Turku to Karlstadt is former F-Liiga draft number 1 pick Krisjanis Tiltins from FBC Turku. After helping Turku survive in the F-Liiga playdowns at the end of last season Tiltins moves next door to Sweden to Karlstadt’s men’s team who will play this upcoming season in the Allsvensken (2nd division). Tiltins is an Latvian international and after coming off a severe injury in the 2022/23 season had a solid 2023/24 helping FBC Turku amongst some tough competition in the highest division of men’s Floorball in Finland. Tiltins will hope to help his new side get back into the SSL and the highest Swedish level of Floorball.
Hemerka returns to Mladá Boleslav after season with Classic
At the start of last season Adam Hemerka agreed a 1 year “loan” style of deal with Finnish side Classic from his home team of Florbal MB. That loan deal has now expired and Hemerka returns back to Mladá Boleslav after an agonising game 7 loss in the Finnish playoff finals with Classic. Heading back to Boleslav, Hemerka will look to push them towards the latter stages of the playoff and Champions Cup as they will face off some more tough competition from Vitkovice, Tatran and Chodov, with the ultimate goal to lift the Czech championship trophy at the end of the season, a feat they last achieved in the 2021/22 season. Despite leaving Classic Hemerka has kept the door open to a return in the near future and will not rule out from wearing the deep blue shirt of Classic again.
More transfers will be covered every week this summer on Floorball.sport and you can see the full list of confirmed transfers so far here:
