How about starting this article all about the Bundesliga by telling us about a tournament record? Like that? So here goes: the Bundesliga is number one in the world in terms of average attendance.
In other words, no national tournament in the world brings so many spectators into its stadiums every game.
It’s clear to see how passionate Germans are about soccer, isn’t it? It certainly is.
However, there are other reasons for such success and fan support: of the five main soccer leagues in Europe (Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Italian Serie A), the Bundesliga has the lowest ticket prices!
So it’s easier to enjoy a day at the stadium with friends and family more often than not, don’t you think?
So let’s follow along and understand all about the Bundesliga, its rules, its greatest champions and how the tournament works, from the definition of the champion to the relegation of the teams.
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What is the Bundesliga?
The Bundesliga is the top division of professional soccer in Germany. Founded in 1963, it is made up of 18 teams that compete annually for the title of national champion. As well as being one of the most prestigious leagues in Europe, the Bundesliga is also known for its financial stability.
Organized by the Deutsche Fußball Liga, the tournament is the competition that brings together the elite of the German soccer league system and is the country’s main soccer competition.
How does the Bundesliga work?
The Bundesliga has a straight points system in which all 18 teams play each other twice, once in and once out. After 34 rounds, the champion is the team that has accumulated the most points in the season, which begins in August and ends in May of the following year.
The matches take place mainly on weekends, with some matches on weekdays, and the calendar is planned to avoid conflicts with European competitions, such as the Champions League, and national cups.
Bundesliga rules
The winner of the Bundesliga qualifies for the DFL-Supercup (German Super Cup) and, together with the other three best-placed teams in the table, earns a place in the UEFA Champions League for the following season. The fifth and sixth-placed teams take part in the UEFA Europa League.
If the winner of the German Cup (which works like the Copa do Brasil) qualifies for the Champions League by finishing well in the Bundesliga, the runner-up in the national cup will play in the Europa League (which works like a South American Cup).
In addition, other rules make up the range of information you need to master to know all about the Bundesliga.
For example, with every win the team collects 3 points, a draw 1 point and a defeat 0 points. This is the traditional format for competitions around the world.
If two or more teams finish the championship with the same number of points, some tie-breaking criteria help define the order of classification, among them: goal difference, number of goals scored and head-to-head result.
Relegation and promotion
Among the rules of the Bundesliga is the possibility of relegation and promotion for German teams in the tournament’s divisions.
To understand all about the Bundesliga, it’s first important to point out that the league is the highest division in the tournament. This is where the elite German teams are.
At the end of the season, the teams with the fewest points, i.e. those in the bottom two places in the standings, are relegated to Bundesliga 2, while the two best teams in Bundesliga 2 are promoted to the main tournament.
Biggest Bundesliga champions
The Bundesliga has been dominated by several clubs over the years, most notably:
- Bayern Munich: The most successful club in Bundesliga history, with 32 titles.
- Borussia Dortmund: One of the most popular and successful clubs, with 5 titles won.
- Borussia Mönchengladbach: Enjoyed great success in the 1970s and 1980s, when they won five trophies.
Here’s a list of the Bundesliga’s greatest champions.
| Club | Títulos | Temporadas campeão |
| Bayern de Munique | 32 | 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 5 | 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2011–12 |
| Borussia Mönchengladbach | 5 | 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77 |
| Werder Bremen | 4 | 1964–65, 1987–88, 1992–93, 2003–04 |
| Hamburger SV | 3 | 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83 |
| VfB Stuttgart | 3 | 1983–84, 1991–92, 2006–07 |
History of the Bundesliga
The Bundesliga was created in 1963 as a response to the need to professionalize and unify German soccer, which until then had been organized into several regional leagues. In 1932/33, for example, there were 55 regional leagues in Germany under different names
As teams from other European countries became more organized, Germany had to professionalize its internal management and its national competitions.
It was precisely in this scenario that the Bundesliga emerged, which has grown in popularity not only in Germany, but around the world.
Of course, part of this prestige is related to the historic participation of the world’s greatest soccer stars in the tournament, including Franz Beckenbauer, Oliver Kahn, Miroslav Klose, Robert Lewandowski and many others.
Some dates are especially relevant for those who want to know all about the Bundesliga:
- 1963: The Bundesliga was founded.
- 1970: Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach dominate.
- 1990: impact of German reunification on soccer.
- 2010: Bayern Munich’s supremacy on the national and European stage.
| Bayern Munich are one of the greatest Champions League winners, with titles in 1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13 and 2019/20. |
All about the Bundesliga: curious facts about the German league
Here are a few interesting facts about the Bundesliga that you, as a soccer lover, will like to know:
- Focus on developing young talent: the league is known for its focus on developing young players, with many clubs investing heavily in their youth teams.
- 50+1 ownership model: in the Bundesliga, control of clubs must be retained by their fans, preventing outside investors from holding the majority of shares.
- Technological innovations: the Bundesliga is a pioneer in many technological innovations, including the use of performance analysis systems and the introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee).
- Most goals in a season: this record is held by Robert Lewandowski with 41 goals in the 2020-21 season.
- Player with the most appearances: Karl-Heinz Körbel, with 602 games.
- Most wins in a season: Bayern Munich, with 29 wins in the 2012-13 season.
That’s it” Now you have a complete guide to all about the Bundesliga and you can start rooting for your favorite team in the German league. Have you got a bet yet? Who wins next season?
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