Guide to the Bundesliga/German Football -Picking a club, info, etc.

Discussion in 'Germany' started by grapedog, Dec 23, 2010.

  1. WilliamTaylor

    WilliamTaylor Member

    Aug 23, 2013
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Hello everyone!

    All I hear from fans of the Premier League is that Hamburg have been underachieving compared to what their economic resources would indicate for a long time. Is this true?
    If so, what do you think the reason behind this is?
     
  2. "Eisenfuß" Eilts

    Jul 1, 2005
    In the sun ;)
    Club:
    SV Werder Bremen
    #77 "Eisenfuß" Eilts, Dec 5, 2013
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2013
    Hamburg does not perfom, because the whole club is clueless. Their fans still live in the early 80s when the club had some good years. They think after one victory they will become champion and after one loss that the coach has to gone. Same kind of morons sit in their management board. So they waste the economic power of the region and are only a clown club: Hahaha SV.

    From an unbiased fan.;)
     
  3. GoBayern

    GoBayern New Member

    Aug 30, 2012
    I am going to be living in Belgium for the fall, and am hoping to get to my first Bundesliga match. I've been a Bayern fan for as long as I can remember, but I'm guessing I'll have trouble getting tickets to Bayern at home. Plus, the trip to Munich would be a bit long with my kids (who I'm hoping to take to the game as well).

    I've always liked Borussia Monchengladbach as well, so my thinking at the moment is that I try to get tickets to a game there, when Bayern comes.

    I know nothing about how to get tickets to Bundesliga matches. I live in the U.S. I found this website: https://www.borussia-ticketing.de/ , which I think I can figure out though I don't speak German.

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I should begin? When do tickets for next year go on sale? How early do I have to be to get good seats? Any advice is most appreciated!
     
  4. Zak1FCK

    Zak1FCK Member+

    Aug 23, 2005
    Milwaukee
    Club:
    FC Kaiserslautern
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Buy them from the club. The actual dates of matches, which ones are Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, are not set until several weeks in advance. The league will periodically announce these. Some clubs with small stadiums, like Leverkusan, can be hard to get tickets but it is generally not to hard.
     
  5. The Friendly Ghost

    Jul 24, 2007
    The one BL game I've seen in person was in, of all places, Unterhaching: a Sunday relegation battle between the hosts and Stuttgart. It was a pretty dire goalless draw, viewed by what was probably about 10K. I actually tried to buy tix a couple days before the game at a little convenience store listed by the club as a place in Munich where I could buy tix (after I struck out trying to procure tickets for the Bayern/TSV derby match on Saturday), but was told I had to buy them at the stadium. Needless to say, that wasn't a problem (even given the small size of Unterhaching's stadium).

    All of that being said, a few things to consider:

    1. You've got a 50% chance of Gladbach hosting Bayern in the Fall (Bayern may not play there until the Spring).

    2. Gladbach has a big stadium, with lots of tickets to sell, but the Bayern match will be a tough ticket to get, and I'm not sure how effective using normal purchase channels like the online ticketing site might be. Ditto for any other club hosting Bayern.

    3. BL clubs do variable pricing depending on the opponent, so the ticket to see Bayern, even if you can obtain one, will be pricey relative to, say, Gladbach-Augsburg.
     
  6. White/Blue_since1860

    Orange14 is gay
    Jan 4, 2007
    Bum zua City
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    In late June, when they announce the fixtures email the club(s) ticket or fan departments if you could reserve some tickets. They should be able to handle this in English. Some will take reservations. Some will say forget it. The problem is most often club members and fan clubs have priority no.1. Then when they announce the exact playing times(around 6 weeks before) I would refer to the reservation asking if there are tickets left. And I wouldnt rely just on Gladbach - better go for the 5-10 closest clubs in the west. You could also hope for Anderlecht, Brügge, Amsterdam or some French club to play Bayern in the CL group stage.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. GoBayern

    GoBayern New Member

    Aug 30, 2012
    I just wanted to say thank you to those that replied. The answers were very helpful. I look forward to making it to a match!
     
  8. Horseshoe

    Horseshoe Member

    Jun 25, 2014
    I hope I don't get in trouble for this OFF TOPIC question, but I'm going to take a chance:
    We are going to be in Germany (land in Berlin 12/19, depart Frankfurt 12/27). We have never been to Germany before. Where do we want to spend 12/24 and 12/25?

    Heidelberg?
    Cologne?
    Nuremberg?
    Alternatively, Salzberg?

    I know everything is quiet on those days, and we will need to reserve those meals at a large hotel which is open on those days. We are willing to splurge on hotel, so no hotel is off limits. It will be spouse and two college age daughters (both of whom rooted wildly for Germany in the World Cup!)

    Thanks for advice.

    I also posted this on Germans abroad, but that forum gets very little traction, so I thought I'd try this one.
     
  9. White/Blue_since1860

    Orange14 is gay
    Jan 4, 2007
    Bum zua City
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Hey, Munich-based poster here!

    The problem with your question is probably there are so many options it is difficult to answer it within two or three paragraphs but Ill try.

    First of all, for Heiligabend(24th)when Christmas is celebrated and the two national holidays(25th, 26th) everything is quiet. Family-owned restaurants are likely closed. Hotel restaurants or bigger resaurant chains may are open - and it all depends on the resp. state. Bavaria is different to Berlin. It also may depend on if you are in a bigger city or on the countryside.

    Secondly, the more South or closer to the Alps the more likely youll see a white Christmas. But on the other hand the more expensive it will get. Nuremberg's Christkindlmarkt is maybe the most known around. But Munich or Salzburg is nice as well. Of course Nuremberg is closer to Frankfurt.
    [​IMG]

    If travel distances are no problem Id go for the very South(Garmisch, Oberstdorf, Bad Reichenhall) or even Austria. Christmas in the Alps =
    [​IMG]

    I hope that I could help you.
     
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  10. cortisoljunkie

    Jun 24, 2014
    melancholy hill
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    THANK YOU!!! I'll be wondering around Germany like a lost child between Nov 20-Jan26, nice to have some more things for the to-do list :D

    On an on-topic note. I picked a German club to follow, on the basis of they where the only one that replied my email regarding signing up for membership and securing tickets (as someone who doesn't speak a word of German...and is just 'internet incompetent', this really meant everything to me) :p

    SCHALKE 04!!!!
     
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  11. logout

    logout Member

    Jun 29, 2006
    A very good choice.
     
  12. Horseshoe

    Horseshoe Member

    Jun 25, 2014
    White/Blue,

    Thank you so much! The more I read, the more I see that we should expect a quiet Christmas. Currently we are booked in a large hotel for 12/24 and 12/25, which I believe will offer a nice meal. We are arriving in Berlin about a week before Christmas and will spend a couple of days there as my brother is in the movie business and is working on a film there. I had initially thought to go to Heidelberg in the days prior to Christmas, but the more I hear, it seems maybe Salzberg, Munich, or Nuremberg may be better choices.

    I think this is a case of too many wonderful places to see and not enough time! Oh well, it may well inspire us to return in the summer. :)

    Thanks for your help!
     
    Dage repped this.
  13. Dage

    Dage Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 4, 2008
    Berlin
    Club:
    Borussia Mönchengladbach
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    You will have a great time in Berlin, you can write me PMs if you need some informations.
     
  14. MondoGoal

    MondoGoal New Member

    Aug 5, 2014
    Wellesley, Ma
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Wow those pictures are gorgeous.
     
  15. DenverFootyFan

    Jan 4, 2014
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So, I've been following the BL since last summer, and am still not set on a team. I know I am overthinking all this, and should just let it flow over me or whatever, but here's my my "sports fan manifesto": For me to be excited about watching games, I need to have a team to root for; staying neutral doesn't do it for me. For domestic leagues, this is easy--when I decide to follow a sport, I follow my home team if there is one; if there isn't, then I follow a team located in an area where I lived or where I have strong family connections. Once I pick, I keep the team, even if I move, for better or for worse. (Ask me how great it was to be a Sabres fan in Colorado when the Avalanche were dominating, or even now...).

    With foreign leagues, things are more difficult. One way would be to pick a team that's fun to watch. However, nothing about a team stays constant over time, other than its general location--coaches change, styles change, players change, etc. So picking a team based on the things that change seems perhaps silly. As a result, a connection to the area would seem to make the most sense. That way, you could plan trips and hopefully see your team play, or at least hang out at a pub with local fans and watch the game. Right?

    Here's my "problem": in the BL, picking based on location would lead me to follow Bayern. (I realize is is only a problem for people who hate Bayern, which seems like everybody but Bayern fans...) In my travels through Germany, I really loved Munich. I also like the Rekordmeister podcast, which helps me connect with the team. But, I don't like the idea of rooting for the team on top, who has been on top for so long. It also seems too wealthy, though it's not a situation where a sheik or gangster is bankrolling the team. I also don't like Pep's style, or Pep after "handshake-gate" at the MLS game, but he won't be around forever. I loved watching Bayern's players at the WC this year, but they will change, too. What won't change is that Munich is awesome, and I had a great time there.

    To find other possible teams, I read up on the BL last year and have watched what I could last season and over the summer. The only other teams that seem to have kept my interest are BVB and it's local rival, Schalke. For BVB, I really like the coach, many of the players, their style, stadium, and especially the Yellow Wall. I also like the Yellow Wall podcast, which helps me get more into the team. It seems there's nothing I don't like about BVB, except that they seem to lose their best player every year and I have zero connection to or love for the city of Dortmund or the surrounding area. It also feels like the BL team with the second most bandwagon fans due to their recent success and their challenge to Bayern--in Colorado, I seem to only see BVB or Bayern fans (other than one Hertha jersey at a Rapids game).

    My interest in Schalke is recent, and based, surprisingly on watching their pre-season. Schalke, to me, seems like a sleeping giant. Who knows if it will ever be a league or CL contender, so no bandwagoning there. I really like some of the core youth in the team, and I like the fan base, which seems close, but not quite as strong as the Yellow Wall. Cool stadium, awesome new tunnel. Great history. The coach isn't super charismatic, but the team's playing style has potential. The downsides are the lack of any connection to Gelsenkirchen or the area, and the fact that I haven't found a podcast or much English language blogging to follow.

    Who knows who I'll pick, if any team, but maybe all this is what makes the league so interesting?
     
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  16. White/Blue_since1860

    Orange14 is gay
    Jan 4, 2007
    Bum zua City
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    When you really loved Munich and jumping the bandwagon is something to be avoided then you maybe should look into the city's two other clubs. ;)
     
  17. DenverFootyFan

    Jan 4, 2014
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I would definitely follow 1860 if they were in the 1.BL! However, it's tough enough even seeing the first division now. Next year, I'll have supposedly all the 1.BL games on TV to watch.

    I've heard watching 3.BL on legal streams is possible--is it? If so, maybe Unterhaching is a possibility. Can't get more hipster/anti-establishment than that, I guess!
     
  18. Dage

    Dage Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 4, 2008
    Berlin
    Club:
    Borussia Mönchengladbach
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    You're interested in Schalke but somehow can't understand it yourself. This sounds like the real deal for me. This will grow, I'm pretty sure.
     
  19. White/Blue_since1860

    Orange14 is gay
    Jan 4, 2007
    Bum zua City
    Club:
    TSV 1860 München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Dunno about the US but in Germany watching any kind of stream is de facto not illegal. But yes getting streams could get difficult at times. And they're anything but hipster or anti-establishment. Of all three clubs: 1860 is the club that tends the most that kind of direction. Unterhaching is 10yo suburb kids getting free tickets handed out at their schools. Seems like no Munich fulfills your requirements.
     
  20. DenverFootyFan

    Jan 4, 2014
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You may be right. I also just recalled reading somewhere last year that a businessman bankrolls 1860. If true, that would take them out of the running for me; if not, then maybe I should do more research.

    Also, by "hipster/anti-establishment", I meant only that I'd be choosing 1860 or Haching rather than the more popular/higher achieving/richer/ perhaps more obvious (for an American) choice. I didn't mean it in a disparaging or political way.
     
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  21. Zak1FCK

    Zak1FCK Member+

    Aug 23, 2005
    Milwaukee
    Club:
    FC Kaiserslautern
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It sounds like you picked BVB, go with it.
     
  22. Footy Magoo

    Footy Magoo Audaces fortuna iuvat

    Mar 23, 2009
    ♫ Flugelville
    If you are concerned about who bankrolls a team, you might want to abandon the Rapids. Three teams in the BL are considered plastic by fans of the other teams who have had corporations who have poured in millions of euros and hold minority interests in their own beloved clubs. But that is irrelevant ... at least in their eyes. :whistling: I don't know how you will ever pick a club that will fit your criteria.
     
  23. DenverFootyFan

    Jan 4, 2014
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My rule number one is root for the home team, so my Rapids are secure, even if an evil billionaire (rather than an evil millionaire) took over. I figure I can at least try to have higher morals, or at least a claim of self righteousness with teams outside my home town. ;)
     
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  24. 96Squig

    96Squig Member

    Feb 4, 2004
    Hanover
    Club:
    Hannover 96
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Are there any other places besides Munich in Germany that you like? (And if not, why not?)
     
  25. Lamprey

    Lamprey Member

    Jul 2, 2010
    Las Vegas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #100 Lamprey, Sep 28, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2014
    What do you like about Munich? The most similar city with a Bundesliga 1 team would be Stuttgart. Similar to Schalke they can be considered a bit of a sleeping giant. They have underperformed significantly recently for their payroll and Fredi Bobic the sporting director was just fired this week over it. Big stadium 60,000 tho they don't fill it except for major matches. I was at the match yesterday against Hannover, was 45,000ish fans but the nordkurve was really good, lot of choreography and very loud.

    On BVB and Schalke: in terms of location it's about as different from Munich as you can find. They are in industrial, urban and fairly depressing areas compared to Munich's wealth. The Ruhr region always reminds me of the Midwest in USA: rusty, old but with its own charms and friendly people. Both clubs are known for having the most passionate fans, huge fan bases, sell out every match.

    Schalke is a good club to support. If you want english stuff, the guy on Twitter who does SchalkeUK is top notch. Has tons of news, constant posts, is a legitimate member and season ticket holder. He gives news straight from member meetings and lots of links to english articles. It is true, I don't think there is a english podcast for Schalke. The team is a bit of a sleeping giant not having won the title in 50+ years but being perennially a top 3 side. One warning, their fans are very prone to over reaction. They are a dramatic club always considering firing the trainer or sporting director, be ready for lots of drama.

    Two clubs for you to consider as well:

    Augsburg - it is so close to munich, like 20-30 min away. Nice, simple town. Modern stadium built within last 5 years, seats a little over 30k and sells out every match. Has stayed in BL1 for several years now. It does have some financial backing from a business man, but he is a local business owner and it's not like he's that wealthy or a gangster or disruptive. He lets the club do its own thing.

    Leverkusen: there is a great, weekly english podcast called the Neverkusen Podcast. It's the original company owned club. Known for never winning anything but coming agonizingly close many times. They have a good side, large payroll and are consistently in Europe and challenging at top of table. This year they play a very fun, all out attack style under their new coach. The city is a small, suburb of Koln.
     
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