On the terraces: Fans' demands for the new Bundesliga season

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.

The 2024/25 Bundesliga 2 season kicked off at the weekend with an average attendance of over 32,000 across the nine fixtures, meaning there was as much activity on the terraces as on the pitch. Friday night's heavyweight clash between 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV in front of a sell-out 50,000 crowd, including over 5,000 travelling HSV supporters, was a tale of two choreographies – one authorised and one not. The issue at stake provided an example what nationwide fan alliance Unsere Kurve ("our stands") meant this week when they published five main demands for the season to come. Read on to find out more.

Plus: why Erzgebirge Aue supporters are refusing to work with their 3. Liga club, and Werder Bremen ultras enjoying pre-season in Coventry.

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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.