Rhein Fire’s reign ends with new Championship Game matchup
Tim Hanswillemenke
In the 2023 Championship Game of the European League of Football last year, Rhein Fire emerged as dominant champion by defeating Stuttgart Surge 53–34 in a spectacular showing at their home ground in Duisburg. Rhein Fire had delivered a flawless 12–0 regular season and carried that momentum into the playoffs, capping off their campaign with explosive offensive totals and an emphatic victory in front of 31,500 fans.
The year 2024 saw Rhein Fire defend their title against the Vienna Vikings, overpowering them in a convincing 51–20 win in the Championship Game, becoming back-to-back champions. The Vikings' hopes of clinching their second ELF crown were dashed as Rhein Fire again ruled supreme.
Is Rhein Fire's run officially over?
With those consecutive triumphs, Rhein Fire stamped themselves as the ELF’s ruling dynasty, untouchable through two seasons. Yet in 2025, the Championship Games tells a different story: Rhein Fire won’t be one of the contenders this time. Instead, two teams they dfeated in those past finals, Stuttgart Surge and Vienna Vikings, will clash for the championship in what promises to be an intriguing showdown of redemption and rising ambition
The Surge, playing their first final since 2023, channeled the spirit of “finale dahoim” by winning a home semi-final against the Munich Ravens (27–13) to earn a shot at glory in the MHP Arena. This is an opportunity to write their own history in front of a home crowd. Meanwhile, the Vienna Vikings, who had fallen to Rhein Fire in the 2024 title game, reached this year’s final after defeating Nordic Storm 28–20 and are determined to seize redemption and reclaim the title.
A new era dawns
This sets the stage for a final rich with storylines. Rhein Fire’s absence leaves the throne open, but their legacy looms large, not merely as past champions, but as the benchmark the Surge and Vikings aim to surpass. The final on September 7th (Sunday) at the MHP Arena is more than a game; it’s the next chapter in ELF’s evolving narrative. It's one where home advantage, redemption, and hunger for glory collide in a contest to crown a new European champion of American Football.
© Hannes Jirgal / Vienna Vikings
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