Bundesliga refers to a professional and top-tier football league in Germany. The league is also claimed to enjoy the highest number of stadium attendees throughout the globe. Bundesliga is also considered the primary football competition in Germany and participated by 18 clubs. The league is based on promotion and relegation, which further hinges on performance of a side in question. The competition commences in August and ends in May. Most of the games are played on the weekends i.e. Saturdays and Sundays whereas a few matches are held on the weekdays.
All of the participants in Bundesliga earn qualification for DFB-Pokal. The Bundesliga champion qualifies for DFL-Supercup.
Bayern Munich have been the most successful side in Bundesliga, claiming the titles 23 times till date. They are the defending champions during the current 2014-15 season and have also clung to the leading spot on the league table so far this campaign. Other clubs that have won the Bundesliga titles include Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV.
Bundesliga is one of the most competitive and popular national leagues in the world and rank third in Europe as per the league coefficient of UEFA. The league matches are broadcasted in more than 200 nations.
History of Bundesliga
Bundesliga was established in Dortmund in the year of 1962 and its first season began in 1963. Both organization and structure of Bundesliga as well as other football leagues in the country have undergone frequent and massive changes to become what they are right now. Deutscher Fußball-Bund first founded Bundesliga but now it is regulated by Deutsche Fußball Liga.
Structure & Competition
Structure of Budesliga resembles to the same of other major leagues like English Premier League and La Liga or Spain Premier League. Every team takes on each of other sides once at their home ground and once in an away match. Previously, the winning side of a match was awarded two points and a draw earned each of both sides one point whereas the loser gained nothing. However, according to changes of rules and regulations during 1995-96 season, the winning side gets three points (max points).
The club, which collects maximum points at the end of the ongoing season, is crowned with the Bundesliga title. The first three clubs on the Bundesliga table directly qualify for the Champions League group phase whereas the fourth-spotted side enters into the third-qualifying round of the same competition. The two teams at the root of the league table are relegated into the 2nd division whereas the two leading sides of 2nd Bundesliga get promotion. A two-leg play-off match is played between the third-last team and the 3rd spotted side of the 2nd Bundesliga.
The winner plays in the Bundesliga for the next season while the loser plies their trade in the 2nd division.
The method of tie-breakers plays a role if more than one team has collection of same points. The method is in line with the following order:
- Goal difference in the season
- Total goals netted by a team in question for the season
- Head-to-Head goals in outings
- Number of head-to-head scores