On the terraces: Dynamo Dresden, Hansa Rostock & the Leipzig Derby

In a weekly Newsletter, Matt Ford keeps an eye on the action off the pitch in the Bundesliga and German football, explaining what’s going on from fan protests to finances.

With the Bundesliga on hold due to the international break, this week's newsletter looks at what's happening on the terraces further down the pyramid, particularly in eastern Germany. In Dresden, Dynamo fans are calling on the board to repurchase the club's fan shop from an external service provider, which once again raises questions about how much influence members ought to have in day-to-day affairs. But at least the debate has remained relatively cordial, unlike on the Baltic coast where Hansa Rostock are battling to address increasing levels of violence and vandalism at matches. Meanwhile, Lokomotive Leipzig's impressive season continued with a comfortable derby win to keep them on course for a potential league and cup double. But winning the Regionalliga is one thing; actually getting promoted is a different story altogether.

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Matt Ford's "On the terraces" newsletter will continue to appear every week throughout the 2024/25 Bundesliga season. Last season, the newsletter featured exclusive and in-depth coverage of the Bundesliga's private equity plans and the political intrigues at VfB Stuttgart, among other things. If you like what you see, please consider taking out a paid subscription.