The German Bundesliga, Germany’s top tier became great despite little or no foreign investors or investment since it’s inception and has continued to grow financially from strength to strength.
The German Bundesliga is one of the few most followed football league without little or no foreign investors, spraying the crazy money like it’s been seen in some other leagues in Europe.
The league saw a rapid growth in the past 20 years.
The league boost of clubs like Bayern Munich who has since gone on to win the UEFA Champions League, becoming the most successful Bundesliga club.
They are also one of the best football clubs in the world with a huge fan base both in and outside Germany.
The little or no foreign investment policy as it is obtainable in Germany isn’t the same as other top European leagues.
Despite the policy behind the county’s football, the league grew up to become one of the best in the world, which also includes the style of play, stadium facility an organization, hospitality, and followership.
How did the league grow up to it’s current status despite no billionaire investment from outside the country?
Well, this was achieved as a result of the traditional approach to the game in the country, which is every club starting from scratch, before rising to stardom.
In this article, Interesting Football takes a look at how this policy has affected the country’s football positively.
The football fans in the country favours homegrown, this can be seen at most of the clubs as the clubs are co-owned by either a private company and a supporters club or individual ownership.
One of the clubs with a very high foreign presence is RB Leipzig, owned by Red Bull GmbH.
Despite Red Bull ownership of the club, the usual big money spending isn’t practiced.
The main advantage Red Bull ownership of the club did was to elevate the club from the third tier division to the Bundesliga under within few years.
According to our study, the Bundesliga attained the status of one of the best leagues in Europe, using the homemade approach, rather than seeking it outside.
The league has attained the highest heights despite the absence of foreign investors in the league.
Going further, we found out five things that made the Bundesliga great despite little or no foreign investment.
1. No team is regarded as much better than the other
Unlike the Premier League, Ligue 1, La Liga and Serie A, the teams are not better than each other. Even if they are, it not regarded as too much but by an average margin.
Everyone is given the opportunity to perform.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund despite been seen as the most successful in the country, remain the best and the most successful teams in the league.
Leverkusen, Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach and Schalke 04 are those teams making the league more entertaining and Competitive.
The only reason why Bayern and Dortmund are better compared to the rest of the teams.
The approach these two teams use
Dortmund: Get talented players, then turn them into world-class players.
Now, sell them to the big clubs for a big money move.
Bayern Munich: The support from the supporters club coupled with Addidas, simply searches for the best legs around the world.
More preference for German players.
2. The traditional approach to football
The clubs and the fans solely rely on homegrown players, a drive that has been in practice since the establishment of the league.
Although, it also had its own fair share of foreigners participating.
Yet still, the number of German players every matchday is higher compared to the number of foreigners.
But every year, there is a growing list of foreign players in the league.
According to Flash Academy, the league has a rule in a place called the “50+1”. This rule prevents investors from buying more shares of up to 50%.
The only three clubs with an exception include Bayer Leverkusen (Bayer Pharmaceutical), VFL Wolfsburg (Volkswagen) and TSG 1988 Hoffenheim (Dietmar Hopp).
Football is traditional in Germany just the way the fans want it to be.
3. Belief in homegrown players
Take a look at the team’s lineup every matchday, you will find out that most of the players are from Germany with ages ranging from 18 to 24.
The fans are the backbone of the league, with more emphasis laid on homegrown talents.
However, this doesn’t mean there are no foreigners succeeding in the Bundesliga.
In fact, it is the best place to kickstart your football career as the league would propel you to your full potentials.
4. The fans come together in their numbers to support their favourite teams
The fans in Germany remains the backbone of the proper football culture in the country, as well as keeping the tradition is kept going.
The fans are passionate about the teams. If you watch the matches live on TV or at the Stadium, you will understand what I’m trying to point out.
Even when things are not in good shape, you still see the fans backing the team.
A pure example was Hamburger SV, who got relegated from the elite division after several years.
6. Private and supporters club partnership
Some of the clubs in the division are co-owned by supporters club together with a private or individual owner.
This makes it easier for the club to be run at a more professional level.
The fans and the investors both have equal say in the decision making process.
Clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, VFL Wolfsburg, and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The Bundesliga became great despite little or no foreign investors which was as a result of participation of fans in the German football scene.
The league has also generated lots of funds through the involvement of fans.
The Bundesliga currently attains one of the highest average matchday attendance with clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Borussia Monchengladbach getting higher number of fans.
The league has continued to grow and there are still no signs of foreign investors invading the league.