Fan Culture

Only clubs that have the best performance can compete in the Bundesliga. It receives both domestic and overseas attention and it is also considered as one of the five most important leagues in the world, along with the English Premier League, Serie A in Italy, Spanish La Liga, and the French Ligue 1. Some clubs such as FC Bayern München, Borussia Dortmund, FC Schalke 04, Bayer 04 Leverkusen have been playing in the Bundesliga for many seasons. 1. FC Union Berlin was first promoted into the Bundesliga in 2019.

Although 2. Bundesliga does not receive much international attention, it certainly attracts many audiences within Germany. Many local fans follow their teams closely by attending games at the stadium, purchasing merchants related to the teams, joining local fans organizations, etc. Hamburger SV, FC St. Pauli, and SG Dynamo Dresden are all famous for having enthusiastic fans.

3. Liga has a relatively short history and it only started in 2008/09 season. Many larger football clubs have their reserve teams play in the 3. Liga. Games in 3. Liga attract less fans but it still plays a role in the league system.

As for the Regionalliga, there are currently 91 teams located in five different areas (north, northeast, west, southwest, and Bavarian). These grassroots clubs are closely tied to the local communities. Their fan groups are operated on a smaller scale, but often play an essential role locally.