The DFL-Ligapokal ( German: [ˈdeː ʔɛf ɛlː liːgaːpoˈkaːl] , officially Premiere Ligapokal [pʁəmiːeːʁə liːgaːpoˈkaːl] , previously DFB-Ligapokal [ˈdeː ʔɛf beː liːgaːpoˈkaːl] ) or the German League Cup was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany. The cup was known as the Premiere-Ligapokal after 2005, when Premiere , a German pay television network, took up sponsorship of the competition. The Ligapokal was not held in 2008 due to schedule crowding caused by the UEFA Euro 2008 . Instead, the German Supercup was held on 23 July. The Ligapokal was not held in 2009 either, due to the German Football Association's decision to abolish it. In the final edition of the Ligapokal in 2007 , the fifth-placed Bundesliga team ( Bayer Leverkusen ) was dropped from the competition, replaced by the winner of the 2. Bundesliga ( Karlsruhe ).
71-577: The Ligapokal was played between six teams, the top four teams of the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal winners, and the winner of the 2. Bundesliga . If a team was doubly qualified by also winning the German Cup, the number five team in the Bundesliga took the spare place. The tournament was a knock-out competition played over three rounds with two matches in the first two rounds, and a single final in
142-482: A comparison of leading Bundesliga and Premiership clubs, Bayern Munich received 55% of its revenue from company sponsorship deals, while Manchester United got 37%. Bundesliga clubs are required to be majority-owned by German club members (known as the 50+1 rule [ de ] to discourage control by a single entity) and operate under tight restrictions on the use of debt for acquisitions (a team only receives an operating licence if it has solid financials); as
213-439: A net loss of €30.4 million in 2009 financial year. Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA, made a net loss of just €2.9 million in 2008–09 season. Based on its per-game average, the Bundesliga is the best-attended association football league in the world; out of all sports, its average of 39,512 spectators per game during the 2023–24 season is the second highest of any professional sports league worldwide, behind only
284-413: A result 11 of the 18 clubs were profitable after the 2008–09 season. By contrast, in the other major European leagues numerous high-profile teams have come under ownership of foreign billionaires and a significant number of clubs have high levels of debt. Exceptions to the 50+1 rule allow Bayer Leverkusen , TSG 1899 Hoffenheim , and VfL Wolfsburg to be owned by corporations or individual investors. In
355-411: A source of surprises. Hamburger SV 's second round loss to VfB Eppingen in 1974 was often titled the "mother of all cup upsets" ( German : Die Mutter aller Pokalsensationen ), the first instance of an amateur side knocking out a Bundesliga club. It took until 1990 for a fourth division side to achieve the same, when SpVgg Fürth took Borussia Dortmund out of the competition. Further milestones were
426-603: A subsidiary of the Deutsche Fußball Liga . The Bundesliga broadcast rights are sold along with the broadcast rights to the relegation playoffs, 2. Bundesliga and DFL-Supercup . From 2017 to 2018 to 2018–19, Bundesliga matches were broadcast on TV in Germany on Sky Deutschland and Eurosport. Prior to the 2019–20 season, Eurosport sublicensed its broadcast rights to sports streaming service DAZN , which will broadcast games previously allocated to Eurosport until
497-555: A system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga . Seasons run from August to May. Games are played on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with a focus on Saturdays. All of the Bundesliga clubs take part in the DFB-Pokal cup competition. The winner of the Bundesliga qualifies for the DFL-Supercup . Fifty-eight clubs have competed in the Bundesliga since its founding. Bayern Munich has won 32 of 61 titles, as well as eleven consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2023, which
568-567: A victory was worth two points, with one point for a draw and none for a loss. Since the 1995–96 season, a victory has been worth three points, while a draw remains worth a single point, and zero points are given for a loss. The club with the most points at the end of the season becomes the German champion. Currently, the top four clubs in the table qualify automatically for the group phase of the UEFA Champions League . The two teams at
639-535: Is a record for a Big Five league . The Bundesliga has also seen other champions, with Borussia Dortmund , Hamburger SV , Werder Bremen , Borussia Mönchengladbach , and VfB Stuttgart most prominent among them. The Bundesliga is one of the top national leagues, ranked fourth in Europe according to UEFA 's league coefficient ranking for the current 2024–25 season, based on performances in European competitions over
710-455: Is composed of two divisions: the 1. Bundesliga (although it is rarely referred to with the First prefix), and, below that, the 2. Bundesliga (2nd Bundesliga), which has been the second tier of German football since 1974 . The Bundesligen (plural) are professional leagues. Since 2008, the 3. Liga (3rd League) in Germany has also been a professional league, but may not be called Bundesliga because
781-478: Is no threat of insolvency do they give approval. The DFB have a system of fines and points deductions for clubs who flout rules, and those who go into the red can only buy a player after selling one for at least the same amount. In addition, no individual is allowed to own more than 49 per cent of any Bundesliga club, the only exceptions being VfL Wolfsburg , Bayer Leverkusen and current Regionalliga Nordost member FC Carl Zeiss Jena should they ever be promoted to
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#1732772945916852-418: Is not in the clubs' culture so much [to raise prices]. They are very fan orientated". Uli Hoeneß , president of Bayern Munich, was quoted as saying "We do not think the fans are like cows to be milked. Football has got to be for everybody." The spectator figures for league for the last ten seasons: The Bundesliga TV, radio, internet, and mobile broadcast rights are distributed by DFL Sports Enterprises,
923-851: The FDGB Cup , the cup of the Freie Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund , the association of the East German trade unions. It was introduced in 1949 and awarded annually until 1991, after German reunification in 1990 led to the merger of the two German football leagues. Since 1981, women's football clubs have competed for the DFB-Pokal Frauen . An East German women's cup was also held from 1987 to 1991. ARD and ZDF will broadcast 15 matches per season. All matches will be available on Sky Sport . For countries without broadcasting rights, all matches will be live via
994-590: The German Football Association (DFB) in 1952 under its current name, DFB-Pokal . In 1965 , the original trophy, Goldfasanen-Pokal , was replaced by the trophy which is still awarded today, because the original reminded DFB president Peco Bauwens of the Nazi era. Originally, the DFB-Pokal was a competition open to clubs from the top divisions of German football only. This continued after
1065-572: The National Football League of the United States. Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has the highest average attendance of any football club in the world. Out of Europe's five major football leagues ( Premier League , La Liga , Ligue 1 , and Serie A ), the Bundesliga has the lowest ticket prices and the highest average attendance. Many club stadia have large terraced areas for standing fans (by comparison, stadia in
1136-456: The Oberligen differ between the local areas. The league structure has changed frequently and typically reflects the degree of participation in the sport in various parts of the country. In the early 1990s, changes were driven by the reunification of Germany and the subsequent integration of the national league of East Germany. Every team in the two Bundesligen must have a licence to play in
1207-611: The Tschammer-Pokal in 1935. The DFB-Pokal begins with a round of 64 teams. The 36 teams of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga , along with the top four finishers of the 3. Liga are automatically qualified for the tournament. Of the remaining slots, 21 are given to the cup winners of the regional football associations, the Verbandspokale . The three remaining slots are given to the three regional associations with
1278-442: The 2. Bundesliga, became cup winners after eliminating several Bundesliga teams in the process. Kickers Offenbach won all matches including the semi-final as a 2. Bundesliga team, but were promoted to the Bundesliga a week before they won the cup final. Surprise results in the cup attract strong media coverage in Germany and, at times, abroad. When TSV Vestenbergsgreuth eliminated Bayern Munich in 1994, who were then coached by
1349-485: The 2000s, the Bundesliga was regarded as competitive, as five teams won the league title. This contrasted with the English Premier League , then dominated by a "Big Four" (Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal), as well as France's Ligue 1 , won seven consecutive years by Lyon . Since then, however, a resurgent Bayern Munich has won each year from 2013 to 2023. For a number of years,
1420-442: The 2019–20 season were broadcast on ZDF. Radio coverage includes the national Konferenz (whip-around coverage) on the stations of ARD and full match coverage on local radio stations. The Bundesliga is broadcast on TV in over 200 countries. ESPN has held rights in the United States since the beginning of the 2020–21 season. 4 matches per season are reserved for linear television with the rest appearing on ESPN+ . In Canada,
1491-580: The Bundesliga is broadcast live on DAZN . In the United Kingdom and in Ireland, the Bundesliga is broadcast live on Sky Sports . In Spain, the Bundesliga is broadcast live on Movistar+ . In Indonesia, Bundesliga is aired on Vision+ , RCTI , and even iNews in the 2024–25 season only while it was currently unavailable on beIN Sports Asia in the country since the previous season . Taiwan's ELTA TV are expecting to aired Bundesliga for
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#17327729459161562-400: The Bundesliga plus the German Cup winners, with the cup winners and champions entering in the semifinals. If the cup winner was the same as any of the top five finishers in the league, the 6th place team was entitled to participate and the format was adjusted accordingly. In the 2007 edition, the participating teams were the top four teams from the Bundesliga, the German Cup winners, as well as
1633-434: The Bundesliga since its foundation; on 12 May 2018, Hamburger SV was the last founding club to be relegated for the first time. In the 2008–09 season, the Bundesliga reinstated an earlier German system of promotion and relegation, which had been in use from 1981 until 1991: From 1992 until 2008, a different system was used, in which the bottom three finishers of the Bundesliga were automatically relegated, to be replaced by
1704-633: The Bundesliga was created in Dortmund at the Westfalenhallen on 28 July 1962 to begin play starting with the 1963–64 season . At the time, there were five Oberligen (premier leagues) in place representing West Germany's North, South, West, Southwest, and Berlin. East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain, maintained its separate league structure. 46 clubs applied for admission to the new league. 16 teams were selected based on their success on
1775-577: The Bundesliga, as they were each founded as factory teams. Despite the good economic governance, there have still been some instances of clubs getting into difficulties. In 2004, Borussia Dortmund reported a debt of €118.8 million (£83 million). Having won the Champions League in 1997 and a number of Bundesliga titles, Dortmund had gambled on maintaining their success with an expensive group of largely foreign players but failed, narrowly escaping liquidation in 2006. In subsequent years,
1846-459: The DFB-Pokal). Bayern Munich have won a record 20 titles. The current holders are Bayer Leverkusen , who beat 1. FC Kaiserslautern 1–0 in the 2024 final to win their second title. Fortuna Düsseldorf hold the record for most consecutive tournament game wins (18) between 1978 and 1981, winning the cup in 1979 and 1980. The competition format has varied considerably since the inception of
1917-548: The English Premier League are all-seaters due to the Taylor Report ). Teams limit the number of season tickets to ensure everyone has a chance to see the games live, and the away club has the right to 10% of the available capacity. Match tickets often double as free rail passes which encourages supporters to travel and celebrate in a relaxed atmosphere. According to Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert , tickets are inexpensive (especially for standing room ) as "It
1988-718: The German Football YouTube channel and DFB Play. Bundesliga The Bundesliga ( German: [ˈbʊndəsˌliːɡa] ; lit. ' Federal League ' ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga ( [ˌfuːsbal-] ) or 1. Bundesliga ( [ˌeːɐ̯stə-] ), is a professional football league in Germany located at the top of the German football league system . The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams and operates on
2059-542: The Italian Giovanni Trapattoni , Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on its front page "Club di dilettanti elimina Trapattoni" ("Amateur club eliminate Trapattoni"). Having won 20 titles, Bayern Munich has been the most successful team in the cup since they won their fourth title in 1969 . Fortuna Düsseldorf established a record for consecutive German Cup match victories (18 straight victories between 1978 and 1981, taking
2130-587: The Year awards including UEFA Club Footballer of the Year . The Bundesliga is the number one association football league in the world in terms of anerage attendance, with an average of 39,512 spectators per game as of the 2023-24 season making it the second-highest attendance of any sports league in the world after the American National Football League . The Bundesliga is broadcast on television in over 200 countries. The Bundesliga
2201-658: The abolition of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1999, the winner of the DFB-Pokal qualified for the UEFA Cup (known as the UEFA Europa League since 2009). If the DFB-Pokal winner, or both finalists, qualify through the Bundesliga for European cup competitions, the best placed team of the Bundesliga not already qualified for at least the Europa League receives the spot. The first German cup was held in 1935. It
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2272-625: The aftermath, the DFB opted not to replay cup finals in the future, instead holding a penalty shootout after extra time. Eventually, this change was extended to all cup games in 1991 . Since 1960, the winner of the DFB-Pokal qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup . If the cup winner had already qualified for the European Club Champions Cup , the losing finalist moved into the Cup Winners' Cup instead. Following
2343-411: The aim of developing local talent for the club and the national team. As of 2010 the Bundesliga and second Bundesliga spend €75m a year on these youth academies, which train five thousand players aged 12–18. This increased the percentage of under-23-year-olds in the Bundesliga from 6% in 2000 to 15% in 2010. This in turn allows more money to be spent on the smaller number of players that are bought. In
2414-424: The bottom of the table are relegated into the 2. Bundesliga, while the top two teams in the 2. Bundesliga are promoted. The 16th-placed team (third-last) in the 1. Bundesliga and the third-placed team in the 2. Bundesliga play a two-leg play-off match. The winner of this match plays the next season in the 1. Bundesliga, and the losing side in the 2. Bundesliga. If teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in
2485-418: The cases of Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, the clubs were founded by major corporations (respectively Bayer AG and Volkswagen ) as sports clubs for their employees, while Hoffenheim has long received its primary support from SAP co-founder Dietmar Hopp , who played in the club's youth system. After 2000 the German Football Association and the Bundesliga required every club to run a youth academy with
2556-593: The central league concept was national team head coach Sepp Herberger who said, "If we want to remain competitive internationally, we have to raise our expectations at the national level." Meanwhile, in East Germany, a separate league was established with the formation of the DS-Oberliga (Deutscher Sportausschuss Oberliga) in 1950. The league was renamed the Football Oberliga DFV in 1958 and
2627-427: The club went through extensive restructuring to return to financial health, largely with young home-grown players. In 2004 Hertha BSC reported debts of £24.7 million and were able to continue in the Bundesliga only after proving they had long term credit with their bank. The leading German club Bayern Munich made a net profit of just €2.5 million in 2008–09 season (group accounts), while Schalke 04 made
2698-634: The clubs in the Bundesliga have been subject to regulations not unlike the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations agreed upon in September 2009. At the end of each season, clubs in the Bundesliga must apply to the German Football Federation (DFB) for a licence to participate again the following year; only when the DFB, who have access to all transfer documents and accounts, are satisfied that there
2769-458: The conclusion of the 2020–21 season. Three Friday night matches – the openers of the first and second halves of the season, and on the final matchday before the winter break – are broadcast to all Germans on Sat. 1 . Starting with the 2018–19 season, Sky began arranging simulcasts of high-profile Saturday games on free TV to promote its coverage of the league. The April 2019 Revierderby was broadcast on Das Erste , and two additional games during
2840-484: The duration of the game. The number of German clubs which may participate in UEFA competitions is determined by UEFA coefficients , which takes into account the results of a particular nation's clubs in UEFA competitions over the preceding five years. In the 2009–10 season the Bundesliga's turnover was €1.7bn, broken down into match-day revenue (€424m), sponsorship receipts (€573m) and broadcast income (€594m). That year it
2911-486: The establishment of the Bundesliga in 1963. Semi-professional and amateur clubs could only enter the competition from 1974 onwards, when it was enlarged. Up until 2008, only the top two divisions of German football, the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, were fully professional but from 2008, with the establishment of the 3. Liga, the third tier also became fully professional. From the start, the new match ups between Bundesliga and amateurs (most usually third division clubs) became
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2982-483: The field, economic criteria and representation of the various Oberligen. The first Bundesliga games were played on 24 August 1963. Early favorite 1. FC Köln was the first Bundesliga champion with second place clubs Meidericher SV and Eintracht Frankfurt. Following German reunification in 1990, the East German leagues were merged into the West German system. Dynamo Dresden and FC Hansa Rostock were seeded into
3053-575: The final. The first round matches and the final took place in neutral venues, in the semi-finals the Bundesliga champion and the Cup winner played at home. The matches lasted 90 minutes, with a penalty shootout immediately following if the match was tied. The Ligapokal was played as a unique event in 1972 because the Olympics in Munich had caused a postponement of the regular season kick-off. Until 1996 there
3124-414: The first match day. Defending champions have not lost the opening matches since then, winning 16 of the 21 matches (up to the 2022-23 season). Starting with the 2021–22 season, kick off times were changed with Friday matches starting at 8:30 pm, Saturdays at 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm, and Sundays at 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Before the formation of the Bundesliga, German football
3195-474: The first round, the 64 teams are split into two pots of 32. One pot contains the 18 teams from the previous season of the Bundesliga and the top 14 teams from the previous season of the 2. Bundesliga. The other pot contains the bottom 4 teams from the previous season of the 2. Bundesliga, the top 4 teams from the previous season of the 3. Liga, and the 24 amateur teams that qualified through regional football tournaments. Teams from one pot are drawn against teams from
3266-521: The first team to win the double . The Tschammer-Pokal was suspended in 1944 due to World War II and disbanded following the demise of Nazi Germany . In 1952–53, the cup was reinstated in West Germany as the DFB-Pokal , named after the DFB, and was won by Rot-Weiss Essen . ( FDGB-Pokal , the East German equivalent, started in 1949 and operated through the 1991 season , when it merged with
3337-419: The following order: If two clubs are still tied after all of these tie-breakers have been applied, a single match is held at a neutral site to determine the placement. However, this has never been necessary in the history of the Bundesliga. In terms of team selection, matchday squads must have no more than five non-EU representatives. Nine substitutes are permitted to be selected, from which five can be used in
3408-615: The four best teams from the 3. Liga . It is considered the second-most important club title in German football after the Bundesliga championship. Taking place from August until May, the winner qualifies for the DFL-Supercup and the UEFA Europa League unless the winner already qualifies for the UEFA Champions League in the Bundesliga. The competition was founded in 1935, then called the Tschammer -Pokal . The first titleholders were 1. FC Nürnberg . In 1937, Schalke 04 were
3479-460: The host of the final was determined on short notice. In the decision, the German Football Association took into consideration that, due to the political situation between West Germany and East Germany , Berlin was not chosen to be a venue for the UEFA Euro 1988 . Originally, the cup games were held over two 45 minute halves with two 15 minute overtime periods in case of a draw. If the score
3550-529: The inception of the Bundesliga in 1963, all clubs from the Bundesliga are automatically qualified for the DFB-Pokal, as are all clubs from the 2. Bundesliga since its inception in 1974 . Reserve sides, for most of the time, were allowed to participate in the DFB-Pokal, but have been excluded since 2008 . The final has been held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin every season since 1985 . Before 1985,
3621-408: The last round. The current Bundesliga champions and the German Cup winners entered the tournament in the second round. If the Bundesliga champions were also the cup winner, the Bundesliga runner-up skipped the first round. The four remaining teams played one match to determine who qualified for the next round. The four teams in the second round then played one match to determine which teams qualified for
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#17327729459163692-766: The league is run by the German Football Association (DFB) and not, as are the two Bundesligen, by the German Football League (DFL). Below the level of the 3. Liga, leagues are generally subdivided on a regional basis. For example, the Regionalligen are currently made up of Nord (North), Nordost (Northeast), Süd (South), Südwest (Southwest) and West divisions. Below this are thirteen parallel divisions, most of which are called Oberligen (upper leagues) which represent federal states or large urban and geographical areas. The levels below
3763-542: The league, or else they are relegated into the regional leagues. To obtain a licence, teams must be financially healthy and meet certain standards of conduct as organisations. As in other national leagues, there are significant benefits to being in the top division: The 1. Bundesliga is financially strong, and the 2. Bundesliga has begun to evolve in a similar direction, becoming more stable organizationally and financially, and reflecting an increasingly higher standard of professional play. No clubs have played continuously in
3834-483: The match between Alemannia Aachen and Werder Bremen had to be decided by lot after two draws. In 1971–72 and 1972–73 , the matches were held over two legs. The second leg was extended by two additional 15-minute overtime periods if the aggregate was a draw after both legs. In case the extension brought no decision, a penalty shootout was held. In 1977 , the final (between 1. FC Köln and Hertha BSC ) had to be replayed, leading to great logistical difficulties. In
3905-434: The most men's teams. They may assign the slot as they see fit but usually give it to the runner-up in the association cup. As every team taking part in the German football league system is entitled to participate in local tournaments which qualify for the association cups, every team can, in principle, compete in the DFB-Pokal. The only exception is that reserve teams (e.g. Bayern Munich II ) are ineligible to enter. For
3976-442: The other pot. Since 1982 , teams from the pot containing amateur teams have played the game at home. For the second round, the teams are again divided into two pots according to the same principles. Depending on the results of the first round, the pots might not be equal in terms of numbers. Teams from one pot are drawn against teams from the other pot until one pot is empty. The remaining teams are then drawn against each other, with
4047-526: The past five seasons. The Bundesliga led the UEFA ranking from 1976 to 1984 and in 1990 . It has also produced the continent's top-rated club seven times. Bundesliga clubs have won eight UEFA Champions League , seven UEFA Europa League , four European Cup Winners' Cup , two UEFA Super Cup , two FIFA Club World Cup , and three Intercontinental Cup titles. Its players have accumulated nine Ballon d'Or awards, two The Best FIFA Men's Player awards, five European Golden Shoe , and three UEFA Men's Player of
4118-501: The reserve side of Hertha BSC , Hertha BSC II , reaching the cup final in 1993, a first for a third division club and a reserve team. In 1997, Eintracht Trier proved too strong for both the UEFA Cup and Champions League winners, knocking Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund out of the competition. In 2000, 1. FC Magdeburg became the first fourth division side to eliminate two Bundesliga clubs in one season. Hannover 96, then playing in
4189-532: The team first drawn playing the game at home. For the remaining rounds, other than the final, the teams are drawn from one pot. Since 1985 , the final has been held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin . Extra time will be played if the scores are level after 90 minutes, with a penalty shootout following if needed. Historically, the number of participants in the main tournament has varied between four from 1956 until 1960 , and 128 from 1973 through 1982 , resulting in tournaments of two to seven rounds. Since
4260-487: The top three finishers in the 2. Bundesliga. From 1963 until 1981 two, or later three, teams were relegated from the Bundesliga automatically, while promotion was decided either completely or partially in promotion play-offs . The season starts in early August and lasts until late May, with a winter break of six weeks (mid-December through to the end of January). Starting with the 2002-03 season, opening matches were introduced to feature defending champions on Friday nights on
4331-442: The top-tier Bundesliga division ahead of the 1991–92 Bundesliga , with other clubs being sorted into lower tiers. Gazprom became a major sponsor of Bundesliga football in 2006, with Gerhard Schröder 's climb to the top of the company. The German football champion is decided strictly by play in the Bundesliga. Each club plays every other club once at home and once away, which makes a total of 34 matchdays per season. Originally,
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#17327729459164402-406: The trophy in 1979 and 1980). Werder Bremen has won the most consecutive home games (37 between 1988 and 2019). Bayern Munich has won the most consecutive away games (33 between 2009 and 2020). Schalke 04 holds the record for the biggest win in a DFB-Pokal final, winning 5–0 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 1972 and 5–0 against MSV Duisburg in 2011. East Germany also had its own national cup:
4473-513: The winners of the 2. Bundesliga. DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal ( German: [ˌdeːʔɛfˈbeː poˈkaːl] ), also known as the German Cup in English , is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga along with
4544-493: Was VfB Leipzig , who beat DFC Prague 7–2 in a game played at Altona on 31 May 1903. Through the 1950s, there were continued calls for the formation of a central professional league, especially as professional leagues in other countries began to draw Germany's best players away from the semi-professional domestic leagues. At the international level, the German game began to falter as German teams often fared poorly against professional teams from other countries. A key supporter of
4615-612: Was a single match between the German champions (Deutscher Meister) and German Cup winners (Pokalsieger), which was called German Supercup and is akin to the English FA Community Shield . A competition featuring four other big clubs who had not qualified for the Supercup, the Fuji-Cup , also existed from 1986. In 1997 this was extended to a cup competition consisting of six teams, the top five placed teams from
4686-479: Was founded in 1962 in Dortmund and the first season started in 1963–64. The structure and organisation of the Bundesliga, along with Germany's other football leagues, have undergone frequent changes. The Bundesliga was founded by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (English: German Football Association), but is now operated by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (English: German Football League). The Bundesliga
4757-519: Was generally referred to simply as the DDR-Liga or DDR-Oberliga. The league fielded 14 teams with two relegation spots. [REDACTED] The defeat of the national team by Yugoslavia (0–1) in a 1962 World Cup quarter-final game in Chile was one impetus (of many) towards the formation of a national league. At the annual DFB convention under new DFB president Hermann Gösmann (elected that very day)
4828-648: Was played at an amateur level in a large number of sub-regional leagues until, in 1949, part-time (semi-) professionalism was introduced and only five regional Oberligen (Premier Leagues) remained. Regional champions and runners-up played a series of playoff matches for the right to compete in a final game for the national championship. On 28 January 1900, a national association, the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) had been founded in Leipzig with 86 member clubs. The first recognized national championship team
4899-408: Was still level after 120 minutes, the game was replayed with the home field right reversed. In the 1939 Tschammer-Pokal, the semi-final between Waldhof Mannheim and Wacker Wien was played to a draw three times before the game was decided by lot. The German Football Association decided to hold a penalty shootout if the replay was another draw after a similar situation arose in the 1970 cup , when
4970-444: Was the only European football league where clubs collectively made a profit. Bundesliga clubs paid less than 50% of revenue in players' wages, the lowest percentage out of the European leagues. The Bundesliga has the lowest ticket prices and the highest average attendance among Europe's five major leagues . Bundesliga clubs tend to form close associations with local firms, several of which have since grown into big global companies; in
5041-491: Was then called von Tschammer und Osten Pokal , or Tschammerpokal for short, named after Reichssportführer (Sports Chief of the Reich) Hans von Tschammer und Osten . The first final was contested between the two most successful clubs of that era, 1. FC Nürnberg and Schalke 04 , with Nürnberg winning 2–0. After the last Tschammerpokal was held in 1943, the cup was not held for almost ten years, being re-introduced by
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