The Modern League

The Bundesliga of the past twenty-five years looks very different from the league of the Seventies: new stadiums, a Europe-wide market for players, a system for training young talent, rising foreign television money, and a title race often dominated by one club. This chapter follows those changes up to the present. Names, dates and results are from general knowledge and flagged for checking, and recent events in particular should be verified.

The 2006 World Cup and the Stadiums

• Hosting. Germany hosted the men's World Cup in 2006 (check the result for the national team, usually third place).
• Building. Stadiums in several cities were rebuilt or renovated for the tournament, and the new grounds helped attendances and income in the league afterwards (check which cities and the cost).
• The mood. The tournament is often remembered as a friendly, well-organised event, and it changed how many Germans felt about displaying national symbols (check, and note that this is a matter of interpretation).

Youth Academies

Bayern and Dortmund

• Dortmund's rise. Borussia Dortmund, after financial trouble in the 2000s, won back-to-back titles in the early 2010s and reached the Champions League final in 2013 (check the years and the coach).
• Bayern's run. Bayern Munich won a long unbroken series of league titles from 2013, along with European success (check the length of the run and the Champions League wins).
• The end of the run. Bayer Leverkusen won the title in 2023-24, ending that sequence (check the details).
• Buying the rivals. Bayern also signed key players from rival clubs, including from Dortmund, which fans debate (check examples).

RB Leipzig

• Origins. The club was founded in 2009 by a drinks company, which bought the rights of a lower-league side (check the history), and rose rapidly through the divisions to the Bundesliga in 2016.
• The name. The letters stand for "RasenBallsport", a name chosen in part because of rules against company names for clubs (check).
• The criticism. Opponents say it is a corporate project that follows the letter, not the spirit, of 50+1 (Chapter 7), and some supporters' groups have protested against it (check specific events).
• The defence. Supporters say it brought top-flight football to the East (Chapter 6) and plays by the rules as written (check).

Money from Abroad

• Television. Foreign rights have grown in value, but the Bundesliga's total remains smaller than the English Premier League's, and the gap affects transfers (check the figures).
• Selling players. Many clubs make money by developing young players and selling them to richer leagues (check examples).
• The balance. Whether the league's cautious finances are a strength or a handicap is the subject of the debate in Chapter 10 (neutral treatment).

The Pandemic Seasons

• Suspension. Matches were suspended in spring 2020, and the Bundesliga was among the first major leagues to restart, with no spectators (check the date).
• Empty stadiums. Matches were played without crowds for months, a loss of income and atmosphere (check how long and the effect on clubs).
• The effect on the model. The period exposed how much clubs depend on match-day and television income, and renewed arguments about money (check).

Exercises