2. Bundesliga
Bundesliga 2: one of Europe’s best attended leagues
It’s no secret that the Bundesliga has topped Europe’s attendance charts for many years, boasting an unrivalled stadium experience for fans. But did you also know that Germany’s second division is also one of the continent’s best attended leagues?
With the 2024/25 season kicking off on Friday 2 August, fans will once again be flocking to the 18 stadiums that will host Bundesliga 2 action for the next year. The first tie of the new season - Cologne v Hamburg - is a clash of two former German champions, which illustrates just why the second flight is notching such spectacular attendance figures.
The Rheinenergie Stadion, after all, is giant 50,000-capacity structure that many top-flight sides around Europe could only dream of playing in. Along with Hamburg's Volkparkstadion, Fortuna Düsseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena, Hertha Berlin's Olympiastadion and Schalke's Veltins Arena, it was one of five Bundesliga 2 grounds to host the continents's finest in Euro 2024 this summer.
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In addition to those, Nuremberg’s Max-Morlock-Stadion, Hannover’s Heinz von Heiden Arena and Kaiserslautern Fritz Walter Arena also hold 49,000 or more.
In fact, the average capacity across the 18 grounds this coming season is a huge 35,502.
While the relegation of Cologne has boosted that capacity figure, the average attendance of 29,189 last season shows Bundesliga 2 is a major attraction - with an average ahead of Spain's La Liga (29,012).
So why does it hold such a magnetic appeal among fans? Well, Germany is famed for its fan-first football culture, with the most wide-reaching example of this being the 50+1 regulation that prohibits outside investors from becoming majority stakeholders. As such, clubs retain their connection to their local roots, with the members having the greatest say.
This is also reflected in the fact that spectators are not priced out of the matchday experience. The league average for a season ticket in a standing area last season was a mere is €205 – equating to just €11 per game – while the cheapest season ticket for a standing area came to as little as €150.
Moreover, matchday tickets usually allow fans to ride on local public transport to and from the stadium.
Roaring on your team is thirsty work, and a beer and a sausage are another vital component of any stadium visit in Germany - with affordable prices are the norm across all clubs in Bundesliga 2, allowing supporters to enjoy a game without worrying about their bank balance.
Not only that, but the division itself is simply fun. Fiercely competitive, wildly unpredictable and often deliciously chaotic, comebacks, big scorelines and last-gasp goals are simply par for the course.
The finale of the 2022/23 season, in which the top three were separated by a single point and Hamburg were pipped to promotion by Heidenheim in the most agonising of circumstances is symbolic of the league.
Indeed, over the past 10 years only two teams have broken the 70-point barrier: Hertha Berlin in 2012/13 (76) and Freiburg (72) in 2015/16. Holstein Kiel gained promotion in second last season even after losing eight times – again, a figure that is simply part and parcel of being in the division.
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So when you tune in to Bundesliga 2 this season, starting with Cologne on 2 August, rather than asking yourself why the crowd is so big, the more pertinent question is: why wouldn’t it be? And why not be a part of it?