German Bundesliga

Region: Germany
Teams: 18
Founded: 1963

The Bundesliga represents the top tier professional football league in Germany. Only clubs deemed financially sound and that meet certain criteria, as far as organisational conduct is concerned, are permitted to enter the top league. Each club is expected to apply for a mandatory licence that effectively allows them to take part in the action.

Fixtures

The annual season kicks off each August with games traditionally played as follows:

  • One fixture is played every Friday night at 20h30
  • Six games are contested every Saturday at 15h30
  • Two games take place each Sunday at 17h00

Following a winter break from mid-December to the end of January, the real business end of the competition takes place until the end of season in May.

The league is contested in a typical round-robin format with each club playing the other home and away. Three points are allocated for a win and two for a draw and the club finishing with the most points at the end of the season are the Bundesliga Champions.

League tiebreakers

However, in the case of a points tie, the following tiebreakers, in strict order, are the deciders:

  • Goal difference
  • Total goals scored
  • Head-to-head results (points tally)
  • Head-to-head goal difference
  • Head-to-head goals scored
  • Total away goals netted

If the tie, at this stage, remains intact, then a single match is contested at a neutral venue. This scenario, however, has never been played out in the history of the Bundesliga.

European qualification

  • The top two clubs, on the League standings, at the end of the season qualify automatically for the Group Phase of the UEFA Champions League
  • Third place finishers enter the third Champions League qualifying round and the winners move on to the Group stage, whereas the losers qualify for the UEFA Europa League
  • The winner of the German Cup competition, the DFB-Pokal, qualifies for the 4th qualifying round in the lesser Europa League unless they have already qualified for Europe. In that case, the losing finalist is allocated the berth regardless of whether they are members of the top-tier Bundesliga
  • If both finalists are already part of the European action, the spot goes to the highest non-qualifier in the Bundesliga
  • Fourth place finishers go through to the 4th qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League
  • The club in the fifth position qualifies for the 3rd Europa qualifying round and the third and final Europa League place is granted according to the UEFA Fair Play criteria

Relegation and promotion

The bottom two clubs are relegated to 2.Bundesliga and are replaced by the top two performers in the second league, whereas the team finishing in 16th place contests a 2-legged relegation match with the third team in the 2.Bundelsiga for a place in the highest domestic league.