On the terraces: Magdeburg attack overshadows FCM win, no Christmas peace in Stuttgart

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.

Football can take itself quite seriously at times, but the heartbreaking events that took place in Magdeburg on Friday evening made it clear just how irrelevant it really is in the great scheme of things. Nevertheless, the horrific attack was inevitably felt inside Germany's football stadiums, not least in Düsseldorf, where 1. FC Magdeburg's second-half comeback was played out in silence. As so often, football fan culture offered a glimpse into broader trends and attitudes across German society – for good and for bad.

Meanwhile, down in Stuttgart, the off-the-pitch political drama of 2024 looks set to continue into 2025, with no sign of a Christmas truce between the active fan scene and the boardroom.

Frohe Weihnachten from the terraces – and all the strength in the world to the people of Magdeburg.

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.