On the terraces in Dortmund in the Bundesliga and 3. Liga, and the issue of reserve teams

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 presence of Bundesliga clubs’ second teams in the lower leagues continues to divide opinion in German football, but it allowed for a big couple of days on the terraces in Dortmund this weekend, as Gegenpressing experienced at first hand. On Friday night, we were on the Südtribüne for the “kleines Revierderby” against VfL Bochum (how long do Schalke have to remain in the 2. Bundesliga for games against Bochum to lose the “small” tag?), before attending the 3. Liga fixture between BVB’s U23s and TSV 1860 Munich on Saturday. So, reserve teams: ja oder nein? Read on and let us know what you think.

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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.