The football fan culture in Germany is unique. Bundesliga supporters might wear different jerseys for the various teams they support, but they are, for the most part, united in terms of what they stand for.
They all remember when their fathers took them to the stadium for the very first time, and basically, the way that football was then, or more accurately, the way they remember it being, should never have changed in any way, shape, or form.
That is true for reforms like the use of VAR, which the vast majority of German fans vehemently reject, because they say it ruins the emotions that are part of the game.
But it also goes for things as banal as kickoff times. Saturday, 3:30 is the proper time to play. Bundesliga games. According to many fans, all of the league’s matches should ideally kick off at that time.
There should not be a primetime game of the week that is advertised for more money. Money brings us to the root of all evil, according to these traditionalist fans. The game should not be commercialised in any way.
The 50+1 ownership rule we explained earlier this season is sacred and must apply to all, no exceptions, no carveouts.
The Fan Culture in Germany: Fans Fight Back against Change
The fan culture in Germany is not just about empty words and slogans on banners; if things change in a way that is not acceptable to supporters, they take action.
They sabotage games by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch, wrapping toilet paper around the goals, and half-empty stadia. That was the case in 2018, when the DFL, the organisation running Bundesliga 1 and 2, put in place the unpopular Monday evening games.
They were done away with very quickly after that.
Similarly, in early 2024, when the DFL announced that a majority of its member clubs had voted for a potential investor deal for the league, to be able to better compete with other top leagues in Europe, there were weeks of similar sustained protest and sabotage actions, until the deal fell through.
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Widespread Hostility Towards VAR
As noted near the beginning of this piece, being strongly opposed to VAR is a big part of the fan culture in Germany these days. That is the one major change that fans have, of course, not been able to prevent or undo.
But whenever there is a VAR check in a German stadium, or in a game involving a German team, one can hear chants of “you’re ruining our sport, you…”
As someone old enough to remember watching football on TV in the 90s, I recall commentators reminding us that the referees only had one view of each situation and wondering about what it would be like if they could see slow-motion video replays of key scenes.
Now course, we know that while it still isn’t perfect, nothing that involves human decision-making ever will be. But football has become much fairer as a result of technological help for the referees. It will never eliminate mistakes or controversy, but it does improve the game.
The Pros and Cons of the Active Approach to Football Fan Culture in Germany and the Bundesliga
As silly and petty as the fan culture in Germany can come across at times, especially if all we want is to watch the games in the limited time that you may have, it’s still important that fans don’t let clubs and league officials do with them as they please.
As with the 50+1 rule, which the fans so passionately protect, there are the benefits of low ticket prices, full stadia, and fan engagement in the clubs.
The one disadvantage is that clubs can’t afford to keep their best players. That is a problem that will get worse in the long term.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Lackovic
Recording Date: 13.09.2025