LIVESTREAM Romania: Bucharest Rebels @ Mures Monsters, March 28, 16:30 CET (4:30 pm, 11:30 am ET)

AFI | American Football | 03/29/2025

By Henry Páll Wulff

On Saturday March 29,, the eight-time defending champions, the Bucharest Rebels (1-0), will travel to Târgu Mureș to take on the Mures Monsters (1-0) in Romanian National American Football league round 2 action.

The Monsters dominated the Cluj Crusaders in a 42-0 shutout win. Meanwhile Bucharest earned a forfeit win over the Timisoara 89ers.

Monsters’ offensive coordinator Nick Davis on last week’s lopsided win:

“We wanted to set the tone early and use that momentum to our advantage. I think we executed this very well. But week 1 is done and it’s onto the next one. No looking back. We make our corrections on film but as far we’re concerned our record is still 0-0. We play like we practice. FIDO.”

Rebels Face First Real Test in Mureș

After being awarded a forfeit victory in Week 1, the Bucharest Rebels now head into their first live-action game of the season, and it’s a tough one. The road trip to Transil Stadium in Târgu Mureș puts them face to face with a Monsters squad that looked explosive in all three phases of the game last weekend.

While the Rebels’ roster and leadership have seen changes over the past year, the team’s identity remains firmly intact. Under the guidance of club president Alexandru Irimia and third-year quarterback and newly appointed head coach and general manager Timothy Morovick, the Rebels are looking to extend their dominance without skipping a beat.

“Our standard is the standard,” said Irimia. “We don’t do rebuilding years. The new players have adapted to the culture of being a Rebel. It’s about doing what we do—playing our brand of football.”

Morovick’s leadership both on the field and from the sidelines brings experience and composure to a team that has won five straight RoBowls and eight of the last 14 national titles. But this Saturday’s trip to Mureș will reveal how sharp they are after months without competitive play.

Monsters Hungry to Prove Themselves

The Monsters announced themselves loudly in Week 1 with a 42–0 road win over the Cluj Crusaders. But their real challenge begins now.

Head coach Shayan Hassanzadeh, now in his first full season at the helm, knows the numbers: Bucharest hasn’t lost a game they’ve played in since 2019, and they’ve outscored Mureș by 82 points across six post-COVID meetings. Still, the confidence in this year’s roster is different.

“They are 0–0 against this current Monsters team,” Hassanzadeh stated. “We just have to go out there and prove it on the field.”

Last week, RB Rajmond Sárosi scored two rushing touchdowns, QB Hunor Szölösi added a rushing TD and two passing touchdowns to WR/DB Quevin Redding, who also notched two interceptions and a pick-six. Defensively, DL Csaba Szász, LB Keanu Thames, and Ádám Fehér led a unit that kept Cluj from ever crossing midfield.

Veteran defender Levente Lakó, who has seen his share of Rebels matchups, emphasized discipline:

“They’ve stuck with what works. We need to match their execution and fly to the ball as a unit.”

Newcomer DJ Ruff, who missed part of Week 1 due to a controversial ejection later overturned, will make his full debut against the Rebels. His message was direct:

“Every Goliath has a David—and Mures will be theirs. They bleed just like we do.”

The last time these two teams met in a close one was back in 2021, in RoBowl XI, when the Rebels came away with a 40–30 win. Since then, Bucharest has widened the gap—but the Monsters believe that time is over. OC Nick Davis is convinced: