Why Bundesliga isn't as Popular

[Eric_101491]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=375009&cc=5901




Interesting article about why Bundesliga may not be as popular.



What are your opinions???

[urtel]

Other than blaming Bayern, he didn't give a real reason to why the Bundesliga isn't popular outside of Germany. Then, he could have elaborated on how difficult for the average fan in the Western Hemisphere to follow their club.

[AGF Aarhus]

I'm sorry if I'm missing something here, but where in the article does it say that the Bundesliga is not popular?

[Pfeife]

It's relatively simple:

fans from abroad tend to be bandwagon fans, they mostly don't care about the tradition of a club but about international success and star players.

The Bundesliga is too "balanced", there are many very good clubs, but only Bayern can afford to buy world class players.

In Italy for instance, 3 clubs dominate the league in financial aspects completly (Juve, Milan, Inter), they can afford whoever they want while the rest of the league is extremly poor and has to fight for their survival every year. It's very easy for foreigners to "support" teams like Juventus or Milan because some kind of success is always guaranteed.

In Germany, only Bayern is like that.
With all the other clubs, you never know 100% what to expect next season: maybe you play one season for the title, the next season you play against relegation (think about Dortmund, Kaiserslautern and Leverkusen in the past years).

The relative equality in strength of the clubs is also what makes the Bundesliga so popular for the domestic fans: most football fans in Nürnberg support also the club FC Nürnberg, most people in Kaiserslautern support their FCK etc.

Also I want to add, that the Bundesliga is working highly profitable - unlike the Spanish, Italian or French league- and has also the highest turnover per club besides the Premier league.

The Bundesliga is in a much better position than many people think, and I like it the way it is.

["Eisenfuß" Eilts]

The article is onesided written.

Only the players are listed, that leave the Bundesliga.
What about the players, that came into the BL?

Vincent Kompany, Diego, Pardo, Insúa, Galásek, Frei ...

Ok, no international superstars yet, but some of them have
the potential to become it.

[sportfriend]

i think one of the reasons is because it's German.

Being half german and proud in a diverse country like Canada...I'll tell the bundesliga isn't a very trendy thing here. But i guess that's good...If more people supported the bundesliga there would just be more glory hunting bayern fans running around like crazy.

People here don't really care as much about tradition, which really makes me sad. In my opinion, the only teams i can fully support are Freiburg, Reggina, and perhaps Strasbourg because my relatives came from those areas...Nobody here cares like that, unless they have a chat with me.

Someone could have relatives from Palermo, but they support Juventus because they're the best....

German football just isn't as well known as the EPL and Serie A...doesn't get much media here, or respect it deserves. Plus the Serie A and EPL teams are more guarenteed for success like someone said...

so people jump on those bandwagons the most.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

People like me are very few; people who have no direct or even really indirect link to Germany and supports a team. The only reason I like Hertha is because I've loved them from the first time I watch them. For many people, football is not like that because it might take time. Hertha by all means don't play the most beautiful football and have the best names, but thats just fine by me. I never root for the club that wins the most, it's just not right by me (maybe because of the whole Red Sox thing).:D

[vflkirwan]

I would think that the language also has a lot to do with it.

Especially here in US, its alot easier to follow a team when you know the language and can visit team and league internet sites.

[Eric_101491]

I would think that the language also has a lot to do with it.

Especially here in US, its alot easier to follow a team when you know the language and can visit team and league internet sites.


This is one reason I love FC Bayern.It has a huge English site. I'm not one of those bandwagoners. I saw them play and became a fan before I even knew they were the best.

[DemmahoM]

The Bundesliga is getting a reputation of creating star players not buying them..

I don't mind that at all.

[Bayerntone]

3 key interactive ingredients that prevent Bundesliga from gaining popularity:

1. language
2. media coverage
3. achievements of BuLi teams in European competitions

[ForeverRed]

I don't know if those are valuable reasons......reading the article, putting myself in the perspective of an outsider, it kinda made me interested in the Bundesliga.

A lot of why it isn't popular outside is because people cannot relate I guess to the league like South Americans can to say Spain, Portugal, Italy etc. and because our clubs simply don't do as well in European Competition.

Doing well in CL, Uefa Cup = brings players to the forefront = advertising and brand endorsements = more world coverage = more popular.

[ButlerBob]

Here's a way to make the Budesliga popular in the US, bring back the show "Soccer Made in Germany" or something similar. Ok everyone raise your hand that grew up watching this show on PBS? Ok, a few of us more mature guys (ok substitute older). I remember every week looking forward to watching this high light show and they would have a feature game of the week where they show most of one game. Ok, granted it was a week behind, but this was pre internet so we didn't know any better. In addition usually during the fund rasing times, you could give to PBS and they would subscribe you to a weekly guide that went along with the show. It feature two players and a team or two every week. I think one of the reason that the EPL has gotten popular here is that during the 90s, the regional Fox sports stations started showing a weekly EPL highlight show. And then since then you have the advent of more games on Fox Soccer Channel.

[Bayerntone]

Deutsche Welle TV offers a weekly half hour program on Bundesliga which runs and re-runs on Fridays and Saturdays before weekend matches for "overseas" viewers:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,2142,8293,00.html

DW-TV is a comprehensive channel which covers a variety of informative programs in news, politics, fashion, culture and German Soccer.

If you are interested in it further more, you may browse the site. There is a Germany language course and progressive study material over there.

[sting-ray]

if everyone supports the team where their ansestors are born... it will suck. Obviously i want to support a team that's exciting and competitiv... if the team plays only for fun.. i can't support them... this doesn't mean i support only the most successful team, just one that is nice to watch with a nice atmosphere. I think, simply more exposure is needed. People like english league in Canada because there's nothing else to watch!

[sportfriend]

i'm not saying support the exact city town your ancestors came from.

i mean support the area, so if your family is Frankonian support Nürmberg...you get what i'm saying?

if everyone supported a 1st or perhaps 2nd liga team to where their relatives came from it would be A LOT better. More diverse, more interesting instead of all these glory hunting bayern fans running around wild with an exception for a COUPLE good ones.

you'll get the occaisonal Werder fan....MAYBE a schalke, Dortmund or Hamburg fan (i've only seen bayern fans, schalke and a werder fan)

and then...theres me, the Freiburg fan where most Bayern fans here have never even heard of, let alone name 10 players on their own team :rolleyes: or sing one chant besides

BAYERN! BAYERN! BAYERN!

[Bayerntone]

I wish round the corner of next season, more ppl will be chanting FREIBURG! FREIBURG! FREIBURG! along with the promotion!

[sportfriend]

yes the not so great fans will find there way back to Freiburg when we get promoted :D

@bayerntone, do you visit the FCB forum???

[sting-ray]

okay i understand a little bit better now. Yes, it is absolutely right to support a team close to you... Someone who lives in bremen all their lives and supports bayern is weird.

[sportfriend]

yeah that's what i hate, and it's the same for people over here.

I say support your herritage but i'm one of the only north americans who does that i think :(