Press Room

Milano American Football Company (MAFCo) today announced the launch of a new American football organization that will unite two of Italy’s most storied clubs, the Rhinos Milano and Seamen Milano, under a single banner. Together, the clubs have won 10 Italian Bowl titles and 19 youth championships. Beginning with the 2027 season, every team currently competing under the Rhinos and Seamen names, from the senior level to the youth divisions and flag football programs, will compete as one organization with one identity, one jersey and one shared ambition.

Both clubs bring their leadership forward. Marco Mutti co-founded the Seamen in 1981, captained the team as a player and has served as president since 2009, guiding the club to five Italian Bowl titles. Alessio D'Ascenzo arrived at the Rhinos as a running back in 2001 and led the club to the 2016 Italian Bowl, its first national title in 26 years. Both will remain part of the new organization.

"For forty years we competed against each other, and it made both clubs better. Now we get to do something more important than winning that rivalry and it’s to grow this sport in Italy together, and give young athletes here a real future in the game," said Marco Mutti and Alessio D'Ascenzo in a joint statement. "We could not be more excited about what comes next."

The new club is led by Justin Pugh, an 11-year NFL veteran who was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants and also played for the Arizona Cardinals. In addition to founding the club, Pugh serves as Commissioner of the Italian Football League, where he is predominantly focused on growth and partnerships across the league. Co-founder Harrison Green, a college coach whose stops include SMU, South Alabama, Penn State, Johns Hopkins and FIU, is based in Milan and will lead the club's football development operations. The Rhinos and Seamen names will be retired, but the players, coaches and families of both clubs will carry forward into the new organization.

“What these two clubs built over forty years is the reason this works. You can't manufacture that kind of history, you can only build on it," said Justin Pugh, Founder and CEO of Milano American Football Company.

The launch comes at a pivotal moment for the sport’s international growth.

“American football is becoming a truly global game, and Italy has a real chance to lead it," Pugh added. "With flag football joining the Olympic program and NIL transforming college athletics, there has never been a better moment to build the sport outside the United States."

The organization’s vision extends beyond success on the field. MAFCo is building a program that can contribute to the continued growth of American football in Italy while creating a clear development pathway for young athletes, from introductory youth programs through the professional level.

The new club’s name, visual identity and uniforms will be unveiled in the coming months.

Milano American Football Company is building a platform designed to support the long-term growth of American football in Italy — spanning team operations, talent development, brand activation, and media into a single vertically integrated business. Backed by decades of Italian football history and NFL experience, MAFCo brings the structure, network, and vision to scale the sport and become the cultural and commercial bridge between the United States and Italy.