Duisburg. The two-time champion of the European League of Football will soon also be training at Wedau. NFL flair could also be added.
So far, Rhein Fire has “only” played in Duisburg. The club from Düsseldorf, which was already active in the former NFL Europe, attracts the masses to the Wedau. The home games in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena were regularly attended by more than 10,000 fans. In 2023, Fire played a “perfect season,” winning every game – including the final in Duisburg in front of 31,500 spectators. In 2024, head coach Jim Tomsula’s team defended the championship title by winning the final against Schalke. Now Rhein Fire will move completely to Duisburg.
Also interesting
The spectator magnet will train at the BSA Wedau II in the future and will be the main tenant there. According to a council decision on Monday, the city will invest 1.115 million euros there to modernize the facility. The grass field there will have new drainage. Construction work will begin in early 2025 so that Fire can move into its new quarters in the second quarter.
So far in Wittlaer and at the ISD sports club
“We were looking for an area where we could freely use our training times,” explains Fire partner Martin Wagner. So far, the footballers have been subtenants at TV Kalkum-Wittlaer and most recently at the International School of Düsseldorf sports club. “In Wittlaer, residents complained about the noise. “In the final week of last season, the ISD sports club had allocated its places to someone else,” says Wagner, summarizing the problems. “It’s also difficult for a second club on the same pitch because we obviously put a lot of strain on the pitch.”
“In the city of Duisburg we have a partner who is very committed to us and responds to our concerns.”
Therefore, moving to Wedau near the stadium is an ideal solution. “In the city of Duisburg we have a partner who is very committed to us and responds to our concerns. We are extremely grateful for that,” says Wagner. “We now have first access rights to the BSA Wedau II. Plus, we don’t bother anyone there because the facility is in the forest.”
On September 22, 2024, Rhein Fire became ELF champions for the second time in the final game against Schalke.
© firo Sportphoto | Max Ellerbrake
Two more things could be added in Duisburg. “There are currently discussions about moving our office to Duisburg. “It would of course be ideal to have everything in one place,” explains Wagner. Rhein Fire has also entered into a cooperation with the NFL club Seattle Seahawks. Now it is entirely conceivable that the top club from the USA will also carry out its flag football project in Duisburg. “No decision has been made on this either. The talks are ongoing. If this were to happen, it would be conceivable that an artificial turf pitch would be built in Wedau,” explains Wagner about the ELF champion’s considerations.
Also interesting
“Rhein Fire not only plays in our city, but will also train here in the future. The council scored a strong touchdown with its decision to make District Sports Facility II fit for professional football training. This will make Duisburg even more of a European center for top football. “This is a great message for all Duisburg Rhein Fire fans,” Mayor Sören Link is quoted as saying in a statement from the city, who sees the investment as having supra-regional appeal. A study on the effects of major sporting events showed that the 2023 final game in the sold-out arena alone “generated regional economic value in the area around the final amounting to 14 million euros”.
More articles:
The modernization will create “a training facility that meets current standards, which not only meets the professional requirements of Rhein Fire, but also sustainably strengthens the attractiveness of the entire sports park,” explains Jürgen Dietz, operations manager at Duisburg-Sport.
“With the excellent infrastructure of the Duisburg sports park and the huge catchment area of almost twelve million people in just an hour’s drive, we have perfect conditions for training, development and the sustainable promotion of American football in the region. We are looking forward to using Duisburg as our training facility in the future,” says Max Paatz, General Manager of the two-time ELF champion.
