Rhein Fire (ELF)

For the earlier NFL Europe team, see Rhein Fire (NFL Europe).

The Rhein Fire are an American football team in Düsseldorf, Germany, which plays in the European League of Football since it was added as an expansion team during the 2022 ELF season.

Rhein Fire
Current season
Established 2021 (2021) Play in Düsseldorf, Germany
League/conference affiliations
European League of Football (2022–present) Northern Conference (2022) Western Conference (2023–2024) North Division (2025–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Maroon, Black, Gold, White[1]
Personnel
Owner(s)	Rene Engel Daniel Thywissen Martin Wagner Markus Fong Dirk Reiner Ottogerd Karasch David Wallen Andre Missing Mirko Kürten
General manager	Max Paatz
Head coach	Richard Kent
Team history
Rhein Fire (2021–present)
Championships
League championships (2) 2023, 2024
Conference championships (1) Western: 2023 2024
Division championships (1)
Playoff appearances (3)
2023, 2024, 2025
Home stadium(s)
Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena (2022–present)

Rhein fire won the ELF championship game in 2023 and 2024.

History

On 25 September 2021, the Rhein Fire was announced as the third expansion and 11th overall team to play in the European League of Football beginning in the 2022 season.^[2] The team would be taking the identity of the former NFL Europe team, after the league reached an agreement before the 2021 season with the NFL for the naming rights. In the 2022 pre-season, the management announced that the former NFL Europe Rhein Fire head coach Jim Tomsula would also be the first head coach of the Rhein Fire in the European League of Football.^[3]

In the 2022 season, the Fire finished with a 7-5 record, second in the Southern Conference and one game out of a Wildcard spot. In their second season, the Rhein Fire become the first team in ELF history to finish with a perfect season, going 12-0 in the regular season and winning the ELF Championship Game over the Stuttgart Surge 53-34.^[4] Fire quarterback Jadrian Clark was named Most Valuable Player of the regular season and championship game. The Fire would win their second-straight ELF championship in 2024, beating the undefeated Vienna Vikings 51-20. Jadrian Clark won his second ELF Championship Game MVP, while Fire running back Glen Toonga was named Most Valuable Player of the 2024 season.

Following the 2024 season, both Clark and Toonga, as well as quarterback coach John Shoop would depart the Fire for the expansion Nordic Storm. Head coach Jim Tomsula announced he would not return for the 2025 season, citing personal needs.^[5] The Rhein Fire finished the 2025 season with an 8-4 record, finishing second in the North Division and qualifying for their third-straight postseason berth. The Fire would lose to the Nordic Storm in the Wildcard round, the first postseason loss in franchise history.^[6]

Season-by-season

Name	Coach	Regular season					Postseason				Result	Ø Attendance
		GP	Won	Lost	Win %	Finish	GP	Won	Lost	Win %
2022	Jim Tomsula	12	7	5	.583	2nd (Northern)	DNQ					8,755
2023		12	12	0	1.000	1st (Western)	3	3	0	1.000	ELF Champion	9,814
2024		12	11	1	.917	1st (Western)	2	2	0	1.000	ELF Champion	10,786
2025	Richard Kent	12	8	4	.667	2nd (North)	1	0	1	0.000	Lost Wildcard to Nordic	10,205

Stadium

The stadium is the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg with a capacity for 31,500 people. The venue is shared with MSV Duisburg of the third tier German association football league.