What is Bundesliga? What is Bundesliga? A professional association football league in Germany with the highest average stadium attendance worldwide Founded: 1962 (first season started in 1963) Confederation: UEFA Number of Teams: 18 Country: Germany The Bundesliga is a German professional football league. There are eighteen teams competing at the top tier of the competition in a season. Clubs are ranked according to the points earned during the entire season and the bottom-placed teams are relegated to the second tier football league referred to as 2. Bundesliga (second Bundesliga). The top teams in the 2. Bundesliga are then promoted to replace the relegated ones in the next competition. History and Origin The Bundesliga was founded in 1962 by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (German Football Association) and the first season of the competition was held the following year. Earlier on, German football was typically played at an amateur level where champions were determined through play-off matches between the winners of local tournaments. The German Football Association, in existence since 1900, pushed for the formation of the league as a response to the numerous calls urging the introduction of professionalism in the sport within the region.

It was also a move to curb the exit by talented players from the unprofessional and semi-professional regional leagues to other countries across Europe with established professional leagues. There were five competitive leagues at the time of formation, representing the North, South, West, South West and Berlin regions of West Germany. Sixteen teams made it to the inaugural 1963-64 season which saw 1. FC Koln emerge as the first German club champions. On the other hand, East Germany ran a separate league formed earlier in 1950 called the DDR-Liga or DDR-Oberliga. Competitiveness developed gradually in the end of 1960’s and the 70s saw remarkable talents from the region play at international levels, the likes of Gerd Muller, Sepp Maier, Franz Beckenbauer, Jupp Heynckes and Paul Breitner, considered to be in the list of the best football players ever regardless of their playing positions. Rivalries between clubs like Bayern Munich and Bayern Monchengladbach arose, with the former moving on to dominate in the 80s. The competition has undergone different changes related to participation and the level of competition in the sport.

Nonetheless, it faced a fair share of challenges in its development though the competition has turned out to be a success over the 52 years of its existence. Currently, the Bundesliga is one of the strongest football professional leagues in the world, coming third according to UEFA’s leagues ranking. The league has undergone notable development over the decades which make it unique in various aspects. For instance, Bundesliga has managed to surpass other prominent leagues in terms of the highest average attendance, an achievement largely attributed to the low ticket prices that fans are charged. Structure and Competition The Deutsche Fußball Liga (German Football League) took over from the German Football Association in 2000 to run the Bundesliga. A season of the competition starts in August and runs until May, with a winter break between December and January. Each club plays two matches against every other club at the competition, one at home and the other away. Three points are awarded to the winner, zero points for the losing team and one point for each side in the case of a draw. The teams are ranked as per the number of points garnered over the whole season and the team with most points is the champion of the competition.

The top three teams qualify automatically for UEFA Champions League , but the forth team goes through a qualifying round to book a place at the Group Stages of the esteemed tournament. Tie breakers are commonly used in the rankings with the goal difference and total goals scored in the entire season being the key benchmarks. The bottom two teams are automatically relegated to the 2. Bundesliga and the top two teams in the second tier competition replace them. The third last team competes in a two- leg playoff with the third best team in the 2. Bundesliga and the winner takes part in the subsequent Bundesliga tournament. Member Clubs Football clubs in Germany taking part at the professional level have first to acquire a license, which is dependent on how financially stable the club is among other standards set by the governing body. 53 teams have played in the Bundesliga since its inception. East Germany joined the competition in October 1990 after the German reunification and participated in the 1991-92 season. No club from East Germany has managed to win the Bundesliga to date. Most German clubs have earned international praise and attention. FC Bayern Munich is the most successful team in the Bundesliga having won 24 titles.

Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach come in at a distant second with five titles. Other well-known clubs are Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, Hamburger SV, VfB Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen.

Players with most appearances in Bundesliga 1.) Karl-Heinz Körbel (Eintracht Frankfurt, 1972-1991) - 602 games 2.) Manfred Kaltz (Hamburger SV, 1971-1991) - 581 games 3.) Oliver Khan (Karlsruher SC, FC Bayern Munich, 1987-2008) - 557 games 4.) Klaus Fichtel (FC Schalke 04, SV Werder Bremen, 1965-1988) - 552 games 5.) Miroslav Votava (Borussia Dortmund, SV Werder Bremen, 1976–1996) - 546 games 6.) Klaus Fischer (TSV 1860 München, FC Schalke 04, 1.

FC Köln, VfL Bochum, 1968–1988) - 535 games 7.) Eike Immel (Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart, 1978–1995) - 534 games 8.) Willi Neuberger (Borussia Dortmund, SV Werder Bremen, Eintracht Frankfurt, 1966-1983) - 520 games 9.) Michael Lameck (VfL Bochum, 1972-1988) - 518 games 10.) Uli Stein (Hamburger SV, 1978-1997) - 512 games Bundesliga | Football Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 2016-17 The Fußball-Bundesliga, commonly known as the Bundesliga, is a professional association football league in Germany and the football league with the highest average stadium attendance worldwide. At the top of the German football league system , the Bundesliga is Germany's primary football competition.

The Bundesliga is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga . Seasons run from August to May. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekdays. All of the Bundesliga clubs qualify for the DFB-Pokal . The winner of the Bundesliga qualifies for the DFL-Supercup . A total of 53 clubs have competed in the Bundesliga since its founding. FC Bayern Munich has won the Bundesliga the most, winning the title 23 times. However, the Bundesliga has 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, currently ranked 3rd in Europe according to UEFA 's league coefficient ranking, based on recent European performances. The Bundesliga is the number one football league in the world in terms of average attendance; out of all sports, its average of 45,134 fans per game during the 2011–12 season was the second highest of any sports league in the world.

The Bundesliga is broadcast on television in over 200 countries. The Bundesliga was founded in 1962 in Dortmund and the first season started in 1963. The structure and organisation of the Bundesliga along with Germany's other football leagues have undergone frequent changes right up to the present day. The Bundesliga was originally founded by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (English: German Football Association), but is now operated by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (English: German Football League). Current members of the Bundesliga (2015–16 season) Club Bundesliga | Bundesliga Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit The Bundesliga is composed of two divisions: the 1. Bundesliga (although it is rarely referred to with the First prefix), and, below that, the 2. Bundesliga (Second 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 is also a professional league, but may not be called Bundesliga because the league is run by the German Football Association (DFB) and not, as are the two Bundesligen, by the German Football League (Deutsche Fußball-Liga or DFL). Below the level of the 3rd league, leagues are generally often 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 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 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: A greater share of television broadcast licence revenues goes to 1. Bundesliga sides. 1. Bundesliga teams draw significantly greater levels of fan support. Average attendance in the first league is 42,673 per game — more than twice the average of the 2. Bundesliga. Greater exposure through television and higher attendance levels helps 1. Bundesliga teams attract the most lucrative sponsorships. 1. Bundesliga teams develop substantial financial muscle through the combination of television and gate revenues, sponsorships and marketing of their team brands. This allows them to attract and retain skilled players from domestic and international sources and to construct first-class stadium facilities. 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.

Internationally, the most well-known German clubs include Bayern München , Borussia Dortmund , Schalke 04 , Hamburger SV , VfB Stuttgart , Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen . Hamburger SV is the only team to have played continuously in the Bundesliga since its foundation. In the 2008–09 season, the Bundesliga reinstated an earlier German system of promotion and relegation, which had already been in use from 1981 until 1991: The bottom two finishers in the Bundesliga are automatically relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, with the top two finishers in the 2. Bundesliga taking their place. The third-from-bottom club in the Bundesliga will play a two-legged match with the third-place team from the 2. Bundesliga, with the winner taking up the final place in the following season's Bundesliga. From 1992 until 2008, a different system had been used in which the bottom three finishers of the Bundesliga had been automatically relegated, to be replaced by the top three finishers in the 2. Bundesliga.

From 1963 until 1981 two respectively three teams had been relegated from the Bundesliga automatically, while promotion had been 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). In recent years, games have been played on Saturdays (five games beginning at 3:30 pm and one game beginning at 6:30 pm) and Sundays (one game beginning at 3:30 pm and one game at 5:30 pm). A new television deal in 2006 reintroduced a Friday game (beginning at 8:30 pm). History For more details on this topic, see History of German football Prior to the formation of the Bundesliga, German football 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 had been founded in Leipzig with 86 member clubs. The first recognized national championship team 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 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 was generally referred to simply as the DDR-Liga or DDR-Oberliga.

The league fielded 14 teams with two relegation spots. 2. Bundesliga | Football Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 2. Bundesliga 2016-17 The 2. Bundesliga, is the Second Division of professional football in Germany. The 2. Bundesliga is ranked below the Bundesliga and above the 3. Liga in the German football league system . All of the 2. Bundesliga clubs qualify for the DFB-Pokal , the annual German Cup competition. A total of 123 clubs have competed in the 2. Bundesliga since its foundation. The decision to establish the league as the second level of football in West Germany was taken in May 1973. The league started operating in August 1974, then with two divisions of 20 clubs. It was reduced to a single division in 1981. From the 1991–92 season onwards clubs from former East Germany started participating in the league, briefly expanding it to two divisions again.

It returned to a single division format again at the end of that season and has been playing with 18 clubs as its strength since 1994. Two clubs from the 2. Bundesliga are directly promoted to the Bundesliga, while a third promoted club has been determined through play-offs from 1974 to 1991 and again since 2008. Between 1991 and 2008 the third-placed club in the league was directly promoted. The bottom clubs in the league are relegated to the third division which has been, from 1974 to 1994 the Oberliga , from 1994 to 2008 the Regionalliga and since 2008 the 3. Liga. The number of relegated clubs has fluctuated over the years. Since 2008 two clubs are directly relegated while the third-last team has the opportunity to defend its league place in play-offs against the third placed team of the 3. Liga. 1. FC Nürnberg holds the record number of championships in the league with four. The club also holds the record for number of promotions from the 2.

Bundesliga to the Bundesliga, seven. Members of the 2. Bundesliga (2016–17 season) Team Bundesliga Top 10 goal scorers of all time | Football Knowledge Top 10 goal scorers of all time: Bundesliga Posted on by Football Knowledge Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany which was founded in 1963. It is one of the famous leagues that pride itself of the highest stadium attendance in the world due to the beauty of the game displayed by the many talented players. Bundesliga is Germany`s main football competition that is contested by 18 teams operating on a system of promotion and relegation. Bundesliga has its season running between August and May with a better part of the games being played on Saturday and Sunday and only some few being played in the weekdays. Many players have flourished in the Bundesliga over the period of time it has been in existence. The success of a player is often measured by the number of goals scored. Hence, this article is intended to give you some detail on all-time Bundesliga top 10 goal scorers.

10.) Johannes Lohr Goals: 166 Country: Germany Being one of the most versatile goal scorers in the history of Bundesliga, Johannes Lohr scored 166 goals in 381 appearances. He managed to score all the 166 goals in his 14 years of professional footballing at FC Koln. He was crowned the Bundelisga`s top goal scorer during the 18967/1968 season when he scored 27 goals. 9.) Claudio Pizzaro Goals: 172 Country: Peru This is a player that managed to score 172 goals during his 16 years of footballing career in the Bundesliga. He made 388 appearances in the Bundesliga. He managed to play for 5 different clubs in his entire years of professional footballing, and two of the clubs are from the Bundesliga, namely Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen. With a rate of 0.47 goals per game, he was able to set a record of scoring against every Bundesliga club that he ever faced.

He also played a major role in the Bayern Munich team that clinched the Bundesliga and the German cup double in 2003. 8.) Klaus Allofs Goals: 177 Country: West Germany With a goal rate of 0.42 per game, Klaus Allofs was able to net 177 goals in 424 appearances. He played in three clubs in the Bundesliga; Fortuna Dusseldorf where he scored 71 goals in 169 appearances, Koln where he scored 88 goals in 177 appearances and Werder Bremen where he scored 18 goals in 108 appearances. He spent a total of 18 years of footballing career in Bundesliga.He was crowned Bundesliga`s top goal scorer during 1978/1979 and 1984/1985 seasons. 7.) Dieter Muller Goals: 177 Country: West Germany Only that that he had a higher rate of goals scored per game, averaging to 0.58 in 303 appearances in 13 years of professional footballing in Bundesliga, he scored 177 goals just like Klaus Allofs.

He played for two clubs in the Bundesliga, FC Koln where he scored 159 goals and Werder Bremen where he scored 6 goals. He was the Bundesliga`s top scorer in 1976/1977 and 1977/1978 seasons. He also helped FC Koln win Bundesliga in the 1977/1978 season. 6.) Stefan Kuntz Goals: 179 Country: West Germany In his 16 years of professional footballing in the Bundesliga, he managed to score 179 goals in 449 appearances. He played in three Bundesliga teams, Vfl Bochum, Arminia Bielefed and Bayer 05 Uerdingen. He was Bundesliga`s top goal scorer in 1985/1986 and 1993/1994 seasons. 5.) Ulf Kirsten Goals: 182 Country: East Germany He was able to score 182 goals in 350 Bundesliga appearances. He spent 13 years of his professional footballing career at Bayern Leverkusen.

He was one of the most prolific goal scorers in Bundesliga, winning the Bundesliga`s top goal scorer in three different seasons. Also, he won EFFIFU Award for being the most prolific striker in the 1992/2000 season. 4.) Manfred Burgsmuller Goals: 213 Country: West Germany In his 17 years of professional footballing in Bundesliga, he was able to score a total of 213 goals in 447 appearances. He played for both Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmond. He helped Werder Bremen win the Bundesliga in the 1987/1988 season. He was the Bundesliga`s top goal scorer in the 1980/1981 season. 3.) Jupp Heynckes Goals: 220 Country: Germany In his 19 years of professional footballing in Bundesliga, he was able to net 220 goals in 369 appearances. He spent his footballing career in both Borussia Monchengladbach and Hannover 96. He helped Borussia Monchengladbach win Bundesliga title 5 times.

Also, he was the Bundesliga top goal scorer during 1973/1974 and 1974/1975 seasons. 2.) Klaus Fischer Goals: 268 Country: West Germany This is a player that spent his entire footballing career in the Bundesliga. He played in four different clubs, namely, TSV 1860 Munchen, FC Schalke 04, FC Koln and Vfl Bochum netting 268 goals in 535 appearances. He remains Schalke 04`s all-time goal scorer, scoring 182 goals. 1.) Gerd Muller Goals: 365 Country: Germany In his 15 years of professional footballing in Bundesliga, he was able to net 365 goals in 427 appearances. He spent his entire footballing career in Bundesliga at Bayern Munich. He remains Bayern Munich`s all-time top scorer. He was named European player of the year in 1970. Related Posts Rade Todorovic: Association Football, FuÃball- Bundesliga: Amazon.es: Lambert M. Surhone, Miriam T. Timpledon, Susan F.

Marseken: Libros en idiomas extranjeros Libros en idiomas extranjeros AÃ±adir a la Lista de deseos Â¿Tienes uno para vender? Volver atrÃ¡s Ir adelante Escuchar Reproduciendo... Interrumpido EstÃ¡s escuchando una muestra de la ediciÃ³n de audio Audible. Ver esta imagen Rade Todorovic: Association Football, Fußball- Bundesliga (InglÃ©s) Tapa blanda – 8 ago 2010 Tapa blanda, 8 ago 2010 "Vuelva a intentarlo" DescripciÃ³n del producto Reseña del editor Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Rade TodoroviÄ‡ (born May 21, 1974 in Kraljevo) is a retired Serbian football player. He spent one season in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Nuremberg.

On January 18, 2009 was held the fourth edition of a youth football toutnament (four different youth categories are present) in Kraljevo, called Balon TodoroviÄ‡" on his honour. The Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany''s football league system, it is the country''s primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga. A total of 50 clubs have competed in the Bundesliga since its founding. Since the 1970s, FC Bayern Munich has dominated the championchip, winning the title 20 times. However, the Bundesliga has seen other champions with Hamburger SV, Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen, Borussia MÃ¶nchengladbach and VfB Stuttgart being the most prominent ones. The Bundesliga is one of the top national leagues, currently ranked 4th in Europe according to UEFA''s league coefficient ranking, based on recent European performances." No es necesario ningÃºn dispositivo Kindle.

DescÃ¡rgate una de las apps de Kindle gratuitas para comenzar a leer libros Kindle en tu smartphone, tablet u ordenador. Apple Germany: Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga – Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football The Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga is the professional women’s football league in Germany. INTRODUCTION AND FIFA RANKINGS OF NATIONAL TEAM The Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga or Frauen-Bundesliga, for short, is one of the premier women’s domestic professional football leagues in the world. With a history that spans over 25 years and a host of strong domestic players, the Frauen-Bundesliga features some of the world’s best football and players. The league’s website describes the league as “the image bearer for German women’s football. The elite class has established itself as a brand, with faces and stories to remember” (“Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga”). This page will delve into the history, format, and current news of the league that is the backbone of the national team, which is currently ranked #1 in FIFA’s World Rankings (“The FIFA Women’s World Ranking – FIFA.com”).

More information about the German Women’s National Team from the Soccer Politics Blog can be found here . HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE Early Beginnings Women’s football was long frowned upon in Germany. The game was considered a “man’s game” that involved such brutality that it seemed unfit for a young boy, let alone a woman. However, the 1960s brought about social revolutions that increased women’s levels of education and labor rights. At this point, women were no longer considered the “weaker sex,” but instead as equals to men. This trend carried over to the world of sport, and the German Football Association (DFB) could no longer sit idly by. Initially, the DFB’s Games Supervisory Committee developed unique rules to the women’s game that shortened the halves, removed studded boots, used a youth sized football ball, and removed apparel advertising that supposedly drew the spectators’ eyes to the players’ bosoms (Pfister 101). Nevertheless, female football in Germany had begun to garner support from the DFB. As early as 1974 , a German national championship between TuS Worrstadt and DJK Eintracht Erle was played (“Historie”).

It marked an early milestone of women’s football in the Bavarian nation. Throughout the 1980s, club leagues were introduced on a regional level in West Germany, through which the best players and teams would be selected to play in the national championship. In East Germany, national resources were invested into athletes and sports with the greatest chance of winning at the Olympic Games. The women’s game spread quickly on a local level throughout the 1980s in East Germany as well. However, the 1980s also witnessed significant financial and political obstacles to the development of the women’s game. The unification of East and West Germany allowed the establishment of a unified league in 1990 and the growth of the women’s game would skyrocket henceforth (Pfister 103). . . The Birth and Growth of the Frauen-Bundesliga The DFB first established the Frauen-Bundesliga in 1990, making it the first ever women’s professional league in Germany (Pel). The league was originally founded by 20 member clubs, but since the league’s birth, the structure of the league has changed significantly.

Among the 20 founding members, only a few have remained in the top flight for the league’s entire history: SG Praunheim (1. FFC Frankfurt’s former outfit until 1999) and FC Bayern Munich are among these teams. The uncertainty that many clubs faced in the early years of the league has since passed, as the league is in its 25th season and has become a vibrant part of the local football landscape of Germany. The league has grown greatly over the years and changed in its own respect to reflect the increasing popularity and visibility of the women’s game. In 1993, the playing time for each half was increased to 45 minutes as opposed to the previous 40 minute halves. The original structure of the league consisted of a separate north and south divisions with 10 teams in each division, but the league was united in 1997 to form a single league comprised of 12 teams (“Frankfurt and Birgit Prinz the Stars”). The structure of the league has remained the same ever since this merger.

The German Football Association has also introduced a B-youth league for the 2012/2013 season, helping to develop youth talent at a higher level (“Historie”). Large vs. Small Clubs The Frauen-Bundesliga began in an era where teams from the smaller towns dominated. TSV Siegen, a small, university town in the North Rhine-Westphalia state, won four out of the first six trophies (“Sportfreunde Siegen”). However, in recent memory larger cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Duisburg have dominated the competition (“Frankfurt and Birgit Prinz the Stars”). The rise of large clubs reflects a growing investment from strong men’s clubs teams into partnering women’s clubs. However, traditional winners such as 1. FFC Frankfurt and 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam still remain the strongest perennial teams. Furthermore, the relegation structure allows smaller clubs from the 2. Bundesliga to rise and gain entry into the Frauen-Bundesliga. UEFA Success German clubs on both the men and women’s sides have a storied history in UEFA Cups and Champions Leagues competitions.

Since the 2002 inaugural UEFA Women’s Champions League season, only three winners have not hailed from a German side (“UEFA Women’s Champions League – History – UEFA.com”). All other winners represent a German club in the Frauen-Bundesliga. Wolfsburg (2013, 2014) , Potsdam (2005, 2010), and 1. FFC Frankfurt (2002, 2006, 2008) have all won multiple times since the first Champions League competition, with Duisburg being crowned champions in its 2009 campaign. This makes the Frauen-Bundesliga the most successful league in the UEFA Women’s Champions League with seven titles won by four clubs. German women’s success at the Champions League stage demonstrates the strength of the domestic league compared to other strong footballing powers in Europe. You can read more about the UEFA Women’s Champions League history here (“UEFA Women’s Champions League – History – UEFA.com”). History of winners of UEFA Women’s Champions League. Notable Players of the Frauen Bundesliga Some of the most successful women’s football players in the world have played in the German Frauen-Bundesliga.

One of the league’s original stars in the 1990s was Heidi Mohr , having appeared on the national team 104 times (“Heidi Mohr”). Mohr was the top scorer in the Bundesliga for 5 consecutive years from 1991 through 1995. Mohr played in the Frauen-Bundesliga for TuS Ahrbach, TuS Niederkirchen, and 1. FFC Frankfurt. Mohr’s domestic league domination was accentuated on the national team, as she has a record 0.80 goals per game average (83 goals over 104 games) and is the second leading scorer of all time, following legend Birgit Prinz. Heidi Mohr was one of the league’s first stars and a star for her national team through the 1990s. Birgit Prinz had a storied career in the Frauen Bundesliga, scoring 155 goals in the league as the fourth all-time goal-scorer (“Birgit Prinz”) (“Statistics”). She started her career at SV Dornigheim and eventually debuted for FSV Frankfurt in the Bundesliga in 1993.

She won two Bundesliga titles and two German cups during her five year stay at FSV Frankfurt. In 1998, she moved to 1. FFC Frankfurt. Over a total 13 year stay at the club, she won six Bundesliga titles and eight German cup titles. She also won the UEFA Women’s Champions League three times with Frankfurt (2002, 2006, and 2008). She was also named FIFA World Player of the YEAR in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She was also named the German Female Footballer of the Year from 2001 to 2008 (“Birgit Prinz”). Birgit Prinz is one of the league’s most storied players. For more information on notable German players from other writers on the Soccer Politics Blog, please visit here . Allianz Sponsorship For the 2014/2015 season, the Frauen-Bundesliga will be known as the Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga through a new partnership with Allianz , a German multinational financial services company headquartered in Munich (“Allianz”).

The partnership will last for five years until the 2019 season. According to the DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach : “This agreement is a milestone in the development of women’s football and especially the women’s Bundesliga. We therefore allowed a partner for the first time the naming rights to one of our leagues because the clubs directly benefit from the money.. flowing into the coffers of the clubs, which can thus develop their gaming operations in the future. This partnership is a clear commitment to women’s football in the form of unique in the world. ” (“Partner”) Specifically, each club can expect €100,000 of income from the sponsorship (Hellmann). In return , clubs are required to feature the Allianz logo on the sleeves of all jerseys, interview zones, and surrounding stadium barricades (“Novum Im Deutschen Fußball: Allianz Wird Namenssponsor Der Frauen-Bundesliga” ). The clubs will continue their participation in the Alliance Girls Cup, which started in 2010, and features approximately 16,000 footballers ranging from the age groups of U11 to U17 and older.

The landmark deal with Allianz is a watershed moment for the league and women’s football development from a financial perspective. Allianz sponsorship advertisement FORMAT/RULES Regular Season Schedule The Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga currently runs from August/September to May/June (“Spieltag/Tabelle”). Schedules may be adjusted to accommodate World Cups or Olympic Games, during which the league would assign a month of rest. In each round, every club plays against each other, with a home game in one round and an away game in the other. The first round typically starts in late August or September and finishes in December, while the second round starts around February and ends in May or June. In total, there are 22 match days over the course of the entire season. After the last match day of the season is played, the team with the top standing is awarded the title of “Deutcher Meister” as champion of the league. The champion of the league represents the Frauen-Bundesliga in the UEFA Women’s Champions League along with the runner-up of the league. VfL are the defending 2014 champions of the Frauen-Bundesliga.

Teams The Frauen-Bundeliga currently consists of 12 teams. To compete in the league, every club is required to receive a DFB license from the league. The license is awarded based on the club’s “legal, personnel, administrative, infrastructural, safety-related, media, and financial criteria” (“Frauen-Bundesliga”). Specifically, the financial criteria is evaluated to ensure that clubs can support a club in the league. Since the founding of the league in 1990, clubs have never filed for insolvency or withdrawn teams due to financial pressures. This contrasts greatly with the many women’s leagues of the United States that have failed due to financial insolvency. A table of the current teams can be found below. Club Relegation The league also includes relegation and promotion rules as the clubs finishing 11th and 12th are replaced with the top teams of the two 2. Bundesliga divisions. The 2. Bundesliga or the 2nd Women’s Football Bundesliga is the second tier league for women’s football in Germany and is divided into 2 divisions: North and South.

Winners of each group get promoted to the Frauen-Bundesliga, while the last two places of each group are relegated to the Regionalliga. This relegation structure allows for successful, small teams to represent themselves on the premier tiered league, the Frauen-Bundesliga. This club movement is shown in some teams that have village-like populations as shown in the table above. The 12 teams currently competing in the Frauen-Bundesliga are spread across the country. However, these are subject to change due to relegation from season to season. WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES VS. MEN’S PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES Salaries and Team Finances Since the Frauen-Bundesliga is a semi-professional league, the salaries of players across the board are quite low. Most players must support themselves with secondary sources of income in addition to their income from football, and many players are also students. Due to the semi-professional nature of the league, player salaries do not exceed those of the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States. However, the national players, who are generally considered the stars of the league, have higher salaries than other players (Leeds 375).

Clubs currently receive €180,000 a year from the DFB through the various sponsorship and broadcasting deals (Owen). However, the total amount that clubs receive can vary greatly, depending on the size and prominence of the club. For example, the top three clubs in the Frauen-Bundesliga, 1. FFC Frankfurt, VfL Wolfsburg, and 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, can have budgets that are on the order of €2 million. While the disparity between clubs financially is large, the baseline level of support that clubs receive from the DFB is necessary for some smaller clubs’ livelihood in the league (Owen). As a point of reference , a study conducted by Sportsmail revealed that the average player salary per year for a male player in the Bundesliga is over €2 million (Harris). These astronomical numbers indicate the gaping disparity between the male and female leagues. Essentially, the average male player in the Bundesliga is able to net a paycheck that is on par with the entire budget of some of the most successful Frauen-Bundesliga teams. Furthermore, the average club income per year for Bundesliga teams comes in at around €125 million (Harris).

Attendance and Stadiums The Stadion Essen (Essen Stadium) is currently the largest stadium that hosts Frauen-Bundesliga matches. Attendance at league matches has grown significantly over time (“Frankfurt and Birgit Prinz the Stars”). At the start of the league, games would often struggle to garner over 200 spectators. However, in the 2006/2007 season, the league averaged over 700 spectators per game. Currently, games involving two average team easily draw over 1,000 fans, and more popular teams can attract over 5,000 spectators. Most notably, the greatest increases in spectatorship in the league has followed FIFA Women’s World Cup Years (2003, 2007, 2011). The stadium capacities and names are listed below (ordered by capacity): Club 2,000 *Table information from Wikipedia.org Men’s Bundesliga matches experience the highest attendance rates of any football league in the world, averaging over 42,000 fans per game in a season, according to a Sportsmail study (Harris).

Furthermore, the average attendance of Bundesliga matches is only second to America’s National Football League (NFL) for all professional sports leagues in the world. While the immense gap in attendance numbers for women’s and men’s Bundesliga matches is alarming, the upward trend in the women’s games is encouraging and expected to grow this year, with the onset of the 2015 Women’s World Cup. International Flair Both the Frauen-Bundesliga and the men’s Bundesliga can be considered top tier leagues in their own respects, and as such, they attract players from many different countries. Additionally, the Bosman ruling removes restrictions from foreign EU players within the league, and allows them to move between clubs without transfer fees. While the majority of each roster remains German, most clubs feature a few international players. However, the number of non-EU players has been restricted at the beginning of the 2006/2007 season from five to three per roster. Currently only 10% of the league are non-German (“Frankfurt and Birgit Prinz the Stars”). While some attribute the number of international players in a league to the success of the league, others claim that a league must allow for domestic development of its country’s players.

The ruling to reduce non-EU players on Frauen-Bundesliga rosters reflects a shift to develop domestic prospects in the women’s game, a task that has paid dividends in their FIFA rankings. Kozue Ando plays for 1. FFC Frankfurt and the Japanese national team, having found success on both squads. The men’s Bundesliga features a high number of foreign players, as the limits on non-EU players were lifted for the 2006/2007 season (“Foreign Football Players in Germany”). However, a UEFA local player ruling was introduced, which required that a certain number of locally-produced players must be enrolled at each club (“More Room for Foreigners in Bundesliga”). The current quota is 8 home-grown players, and at least 4 youth players from the team’s youth academy must be registered to the Bundesliga team. The caveat is that the DFB does not set a limit on the maximum number of players registered per season , allowing teams to roster an excess of players to satisfy the rules and their usage of international talents (Swarbrick).

In 2010, the percent of foreign players was at 45% of the league , reflecting the attractiveness of the league to players who are unable to be added to a roster in more restrictive leagues (“Foreign Football Players in Germany”). Websites Both the Frauen-Bundesliga and the men’s Bundesliga feature websites that prominently display each league’s activity. On the main DFB website , all leagues are filed under a “Leagues and Competitions” tab that subdivides the plethora of German leagues into various age and gender groups. Both league pages are equally accessible from this menu. The front page of the Frauen-Bundesliga is linked to the DFB home page. The Frauen-Bundesliga webpage features several tabs: “News”, “Matchday/Table”, “Live Scores”, “Season Schedule”, “Scorer Interior”, “Fair Play”, “Statistics”, and “League Information.” These tabs dive into various league aspects that shows the commitment of the DFB and the league to popularize the sport through online media. The men’s league webpage features similar tabs, with only a few additional ones detailing player suspensions and relegation scheduling. Overall, there are no stylistic or substantive differences between the two webpages and their content.

RELATIONSHIP TO NATIONAL TEAM Performance of National Team The German women’s national football team is one of the most successful women’s team, having won the 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup (“FIFA Women’s World Cup Final”). After winning the World Cup in 2003, the national team was selected as Germany’s Sports Team of the Year , inspiring a new wave of popularity nationwide (“German Sportspersonality of the Year”). In response to this victory, praise was heard from DFB’s president, Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, and the German chancellor and president both sent their congratulations to the team. FIFA president Joseph Blatter even claimed that the event marked “a new dimension, tremendous progress, and football of the highest order.” (Pfsiter, 104) Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, FIFA president, had kind and inspiring words for the 2003 German national women’s team after their championship run. Players The players of the Frauen-Bundesliga enjoy the support of their federation through training, coaching, and salaries. Furthermore, the relationship between league and federation extends to player development, marketing, training techniques, and even tactics (Pel).

Of the 21 players on the current squad, only four players are playing outside of Germany for their club side. Of the 17 players on the national team playing in the Frauen-Bundesliga, there are five playing for 1. FFC Frankfurt and three players for both FC Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg (“German Women’s National Football Team”). Coaching Coaching has been a hot-button topic of late , as more and more female coaches are being replaced by male coaches. Germany’s women’s national team coach is Silvia Neid , a retired national team player, and has been able to manage the team successfully at the top level (“German Women’s National Football Team”). She will be stepping down in 2016 and Steffi Jones, also a retired German female footballer, will take her coaching job (“Silvia Neid Set to Retire, Steffi Jones to Take Over”). Another example of strong female coaches on the German women’s national team is Tina Theune-Meyer, who in 1996 became the first woman to take over this position. Her victory in the 2003 World Cup made her the first woman in the world to lead a football team to the title.

Despite these successes, very few coaches across the league are female as they do not represent a majority of coaches. (Pfister, 106) Silvia Neid was the German Women’s National Team coach from 2005-2015. More information about the German Women’s National Team can be found here . CURRENT EVENTS Current Standings The 2014/2015 Frauen-Bundesliga season is drawing to a close, with only the final round of games remaining. The current Frauen-Bundesliga standings are shown in the table below: Frauen-Bundesliga Standings on April 27, 2015 The table reflects the latest round of matches played on April 26 (“Spieltag/Tabelle”). On this match day, VfL Wolfsburg secured a 4-0 victory over SGS Essen and 1. FFC Frankfurt also defeated 1899 Hoffenheim, 4-0. Bayern Munich was also unchallenged in a 6-0 victory over Herforder SV. This leaves the 22nd and final week of action to decide the champion of the league as 1.

FFC Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg will face off in Frankfurt on May 10th. The winner of this match will reign as champions of the Frauen-Bundesliga, but if there is a draw, Bayern Munich can secure the top spot with a win of their own. Frauen-Bundesliga fans have one final, gut-wrenching week of matches to watch before this season is concluded. UEFA Women’s Champions League The UEFA Champion’s League Final will feature 1. FFC Frankfurt against Paris Saint-Germain. On May 14, 2015, the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League will be played, as Paris Saint-Germain will take on 1. FFC Frankfurt. 1. FFC Frankfurt will play in their record sixth final in Berlin, and will be considered the heavy favorites, having won the title three times before. This is the eighth final in a row that will feature a German side, and the 12th time overall in the history of the competition. This will be the first UEFA Women’s Championship held in Berlin at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark Stadium.

On the precipice of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the eyes of the female footballing community will be on Berlin to see if PSG can prevail over the titans that are 1. FFC Frankfurt. Sources: “Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga.” DFB. Deutscher Fussball-Bund, 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < “The FIFA Women’s World Ranking – FIFA.com.” com. FIFA, 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < Pfister, Gertrud; Tomlinson, Alan. “6. The Future of Football Is Female!? On the past and Present of Women’s Football in Germany.” German Football: History, Culture, Society. London: Routledge, 2006. Print. “Historie.” DFB. 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < Pel, Jenna. “German Pro League Brings Success.” ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 18 June 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

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“Women’s Football Looks for Chance to Broaden Appeal – FT.com.” Financial Times. 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <#axzz3YRsB6SrX>. Harris, Nick. “Premier League Wages Dwarf Those around Europe with Top-flight Players in England Earning an Average of £2.3million a Year… Almost 60 per Cent More than in Germany.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 15 Nov. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < “Foreign Football Players in Germany.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Aug. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < “More Room for Foreigners in Bundesliga.” 1 Aug. 2006. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < Swarbrick, Silas. “Does the Bundesliga Need to Limit Foreign Transfers?” Bundesliga Fanatic. 12 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < “FIFA Women’s World Cup Final.” com. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

< “German Sportspersonality of the Year.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < “German Women’s National Football Team.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. <’s_national_football_team#Current_squad>. “Silvia Neid.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Apr. 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < “Silvia Neid Set to Retire, Steffi Jones to Take over | Sports | DW.DE | 30.03.2015.” DE. 3 Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. < How to cite this page (MLA): Fu, Justin. “Germany: Allianz Frauen-Bundesliga.” Soccer Politics: The Politics of Football. Duke University, 1 May 2015. Web. (Date accessed). <

Question: The Bundesliga is a professional association football league in which country?
Answer: Germany