The Bundesliga is Germany's top professional football league, featuring 18 teams competing from August to May. It operates on a promotion and relegation system with the 2. Bundesliga. Matches occur on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Bundesliga clubs also participate in the DFB-Pokal cup, and the league winner qualifies for the DFL-Supercup.
January 1900: Establishment of the Deutscher Fußball Bund
On January 28, 1900, the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB), the national football association of Germany, was established in Leipzig. This event brought together 86 member clubs, laying the foundation for organized football in the country.
May 1903: First Recognized German Football Championship
VfB Leipzig emerged as the first officially recognized national championship team in German football history on May 31, 1903. They secured this title by defeating DFC Prague with a resounding 7-2 victory in a game held in Altona.
1903: Recognition of Men's Titles
The year 1903 is significant as it marks the starting point for recognizing men's German football titles in the DFB's decision on championship titles recognition.
1949: Introduction of Semi-Professionalism
German football, previously played at the amateur level, introduced part-time (semi-) professionalism in 1949. This significant shift in the sport's landscape resulted in the restructuring of the league system, reducing the number of regional leagues to five Oberligen (Premier Leagues).
1950: Formation of DS-Oberliga in East Germany
In 1950, a separate football league, the DS-Oberliga (Deutscher Sportausschuss Oberliga), was established in East Germany.
1958: Renaming of DS-Oberliga
The DS-Oberliga was renamed the Football Oberliga DFV in 1958. It became commonly known as the DDR-Liga or DDR-Oberliga. The league featured 14 teams and had two relegation spots.
July 1962: Creation of the Bundesliga
The Bundesliga, Germany's national football league, was officially created on July 28, 1962, at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund. This momentous decision was made during the annual DFB convention under the leadership of newly elected DFB president Hermann Gösmann. The league's establishment was partly influenced by the German national team's quarter-final loss to Yugoslavia in the 1962 World Cup.
August 1963: First Bundesliga Matches
The first Bundesliga matches were played on August 24, 1963. 1. FC Köln, an early favorite, emerged as the first Bundesliga champion, finishing with an impressive record of 45 wins and 15 losses. They surpassed second-place clubs Meidericher SV and Eintracht Frankfurt, both of whom ended with a record of 39 wins and 21 losses.
1963: Start of the Bundesliga Era
The year 1963 marked the beginning of the Bundesliga era, which was celebrated with a special logo during the 50th anniversary.
1963: Start of Modern Bundesliga Era
The year 1963 marked the beginning of the modern Bundesliga era, which is used as a reference point for awarding the "Verdiente Meistervereine" honor.
1963: Start of Bayern Munich's Dominance
Since the inception of the modern Bundesliga era in 1963, FC Bayern Munich has maintained a consistent dominance, securing a record 32 titles out of 59.
1963: Bundesliga's Debut Season
The inaugural Bundesliga season commenced in 1963, marking a new chapter in German football.
1963: Inaugural Bundesliga Season
The Bundesliga's inaugural season commenced in 1963, marking the beginning of a new era for German football.
1963: Early Relegation System
In the early years of the Bundesliga, starting from 1963, two or three teams faced automatic relegation. The promotion process involved playoffs, determining which teams would move up to the Bundesliga.
1974: Introduction of 2. Bundesliga
In 1974, the 2. Bundesliga was introduced as the second tier of German professional football, creating a structured league system.
1974: Recognition of Women's Titles
The year 1974 is significant as it marks the starting point for recognizing women's German football titles in the DFB's decision on championship titles recognition.
1976: Bundesliga Tops UEFA Rankings
The Bundesliga took the top spot in the UEFA league coefficient rankings in 1976.
1981: Modifications to Relegation and Promotion
Modifications were made to the relegation and promotion procedures in the Bundesliga in 1981. This involved changes to the number of teams automatically relegated and adjustments to the playoff format for promotion.
1981: Introduction of Promotion and Relegation System
A specific promotion and relegation system was introduced in the Bundesliga in 1981, impacting the dynamics of the league.
1984: Bundesliga's Reign in UEFA Rankings Ends
After a successful run, the Bundesliga's reign at the top of the UEFA league coefficient rankings concluded in 1984.
1990: German Reunification and League Merger
Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, the East German football leagues were integrated into the West German system.
1990: Bundesliga Back on Top
The Bundesliga once again achieved the top position in the UEFA league coefficient rankings in 1990, demonstrating its competitiveness on the European stage.
1991: Integration of East German Clubs
In 1991, Dynamo Dresden and FC Hansa Rostock were included in the top-tier Bundesliga, while other East German clubs were placed in lower divisions.
1991: Termination of Promotion and Relegation System
The promotion and relegation system implemented in 1981 concluded in 1991, leading to changes in the Bundesliga's structure.
1992: Implementation of a New Relegation System
A new relegation system was put in place in the Bundesliga in 1992. This system stipulated that the bottom three teams at the end of the season would be automatically relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, while the top three teams from the 2. Bundesliga would be promoted.
1992: J.League Founded with Influence from Bundesliga
The J.League of Japan, established in 1992, was heavily influenced by the philosophy and structure of the Bundesliga. This influence helped the J.League become one of Asia's top football leagues.
1995: Three Points for a Win
Starting in the 1995-96 season, a victory in the Bundesliga was awarded three points, instead of two, in an effort to make the league more competitive.
1996: First Bundesliga Logo Introduced
The Bundesliga received its first official logo in 1996 to establish a distinct visual identity.
1997: Borussia Dortmund's Champions League Victory
Borussia Dortmund achieved a historic victory in the Champions League in 1997.
2000: Mandatory Youth Academies
In 2000, the German Football Association mandated that Bundesliga clubs establish youth academies to foster local talent, with significant investment in these programs.
2002: Introduction of Friday Night Opening Matches
Starting in the 2002-03 season, the Bundesliga introduced opening matches featuring the defending champions on Friday nights. Since then, defending champions have maintained an unbeaten streak in these opening matches, winning 16 out of 21 matches up to the 2022-23 season.
2004: Financial Struggles of Borussia Dortmund and Hertha BSC
In 2004, both Borussia Dortmund and Hertha BSC faced significant financial challenges, with Dortmund reporting a debt of €118.8 million.
2004: Introduction of "Verdiente Meistervereine" Honor
In 2004, the Bundesliga introduced the "Verdiente Meistervereine" honor, recognizing clubs that had won three or more championships since 1963 with gold stars on their badges and jerseys.
November 2005: DFB Decision on Championship Titles Recognition
In November 2005, the DFB decided to allow all former champions, including those from East Germany and pre-Bundesliga era, to display a single star with the number of titles won, encompassing men's titles since 1903, women's titles since 1974, and East German titles.
2006: Borussia Dortmund's Financial Recovery
Following near bankruptcy in 2006, Borussia Dortmund implemented a restructuring plan to regain financial stability, focusing on developing young players.
2006: Gazprom's Sponsorship
Gazprom became a major sponsor of Bundesliga football in 2006, coinciding with Gerhard Schröder's appointment to a high-ranking position within the company.
2008: Reinstatement of Promotion and Relegation System
The Bundesliga reintroduced a previously used system of promotion and relegation in the 2008-09 season.
2008: Conclusion of the Relegation System
The relegation system implemented in 1992 came to an end in 2008, leading to adjustments in the Bundesliga's structure.
2008: Financial Regulations and Ownership Rules
In 2008, the Bundesliga implemented strict regulations on club ownership and debt, requiring clubs to be majority-owned by German members (50+1 rule) and have sound financial practices.
2008: Professionalization of 3. Liga
The 3. Liga, the third tier of German football, became a professional league in 2008. However, it is not officially considered part of the Bundesliga system as it is managed by the DFB.
2008: Bayern Munich's Profit and Schalke 04's Loss
In the 2008-09 season, Bayern Munich reported a net profit of €2.5 million, while Schalke 04 incurred a net loss of €30.4 million.
September 2009: Implementation of Financial Fair Play Regulations
In September 2009, the Bundesliga adopted regulations similar to UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules to ensure the financial stability of its clubs.
2009: Borussia Dortmund's Financial Performance
In the 2008-09 season, Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA recorded a net loss of €2.9 million.
2009: Bundesliga's Financial Success
In the 2009-10 season, the Bundesliga generated €1.7 billion in revenue, making it the only profitable European football league at the time.
June 2010: Official Permission for Clubs to Wear Stars in Bundesliga
Since June 2010, clubs in Bundesliga have been officially allowed to wear stars representing their Bundesliga titles won.
2010: Increased Investment in Youth Development
By 2010, the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga were investing €75 million annually in youth academies, leading to a rise in the number of young players in the league.
2010: Bundesliga Logo Revamped
The Bundesliga logo underwent a revamp in 2010, shifting to a portrait orientation for modernization across media platforms.
2011: Bundesliga's High Attendance
In the 2011-12 season, the Bundesliga had the highest average attendance of any association football league globally, with an average of 45,116 fans per game.
2011: Record-Breaking Attendance in Bundesliga
The 2011-12 season saw the Bundesliga achieve the highest average attendance for any association football league globally, attracting an average of 45,134 fans per game. This remarkable figure ranked second only to the American National Football League across all sports leagues worldwide.
2012: Special 50th Anniversary Logo
A special logo was created for the 2012-2013 season to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bundesliga, featuring "50" and "1963–2013."
2012: Bayern Munich's Consecutive Title Wins Begin
Bayern Munich commenced its streak of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles starting from the 2012-2013 season.
2013: Bayern Munich's Eleven Consecutive Bundesliga Titles
Bayern Munich started their streak of eleven consecutive Bundesliga titles in 2013, marking a record for a Big Five league.
2013: Bayern Munich's Dominance Begins
From 2013 onwards, Bayern Munich asserted its dominance in the Bundesliga, winning the league title every year until 2023.
2013: End of 50th Anniversary Logo
The 2013 season concluded the use of the special 50th anniversary logo, and the 2010 logo was reinstated.
July 2014: One Star Designation for Total League Championships
As of July 2014, a one-star designation was adopted for clubs playing outside of Bundesliga, taking into account all national championships in German football history. The number of total league championships is displayed within the star.
2015: StarTimes Acquires Bundesliga Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
In 2015, StarTimes secured exclusive television rights for Bundesliga in Sub-Saharan Africa for a five-year period, commencing with the 2015-2016 season.
December 2016: New Bundesliga Logo Announced
In December 2016, a new Bundesliga logo was announced for the 2017-2018 season, featuring a matte look and modifications for digitization.
2016: End of StarTimes' Initial Contract
The year 2016 marked the end of the initial five-year contract between StarTimes and Bundesliga for broadcasting rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
2017: Bundesliga Broadcast Rights
From 2017 to 2019, Bundesliga matches were broadcast on Sky Deutschland and Eurosport in Germany.
2017: Bundesliga's Online Influence in China
In 2017, the Bundesliga surpassed the English Premier League in online influence in China, largely due to its embrace of live-streaming and forward-thinking digital strategies.
2017: New Logo for the 2017-2018 Season
The year 2017 saw the introduction of a new Bundesliga logo, modified for digital use and featuring a matte finish.
May 2018: Hamburger SV's First Relegation
On May 12, 2018, Hamburger SV, one of the Bundesliga's founding members, was relegated for the first time in the league's history. This marked the end of an era, as Hamburger SV was the last founding club to experience relegation.
2018: Sky's Free TV Simulcasts
Beginning in the 2018-19 season, Sky Deutschland started simulcasting high-profile Bundesliga matches on free TV to promote its coverage.
2018: DAZN's Sub-licensing Agreement
Prior to the 2019-20 season, Eurosport sublicensed its Bundesliga broadcast rights to DAZN, a sports streaming service.
April 2019: Revierderby Broadcast on Free TV
The Revierderby in April 2019, a significant match between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, was broadcast on Das Erste, a free-to-air television channel.
2019: Free-to-air Broadcasts
Starting in 2019, select Bundesliga matches were made available for free on Sat.1 and ZDF to increase viewership.
2020: Conclusion of DAZN's Sub-license
DAZN's sub-licensing agreement for Bundesliga matches was set to conclude at the end of the 2020-21 season.
2020: Bundesliga Broadcasting Rights
In 2020, ESPN acquired the broadcasting rights for Bundesliga in the United States, with four matches broadcasted on linear television and the rest on ESPN+. In Canada, DAZN secured the live broadcasting rights.
2021: Kick-Off Time Adjustments
In the 2021-22 season, the Bundesliga adjusted its kick-off times.
2022: End of Bayern Munich's Consecutive Title Wins
Bayern Munich's run of 11 straight Bundesliga titles concluded with the 2022-2023 season.
2022: Modification of Kick-Off Times
The Bundesliga implemented changes to kick-off times in the 2022-23 season. Friday matches now begin at 8:30 pm, Saturday matches at 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm, and Sunday matches at 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, and 7:30 pm.
2023: End of Bayern Munich's Dominance?
As of 2023, Bayern Munich had secured the Bundesliga title for ten consecutive seasons.
2023: End of Bayern Munich's Dominant Era
Bayern Munich's run of eleven consecutive Bundesliga titles ended in 2023, making it one of the most dominant eras in the history of the league.