Bundesliga reimagined: Ranking German teams by highest average attendance

Relegated teams

In this hypothetical question, eight of the 18 teams in the Bundesliga this season would be replaced by second-tier football clubs. Bundesliga regulars VfL Wolfsburg (25,840) and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (24,891) would suffer relegation. So would Union Berlin (21,986), which played European football last season, and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 (15,000), which is playing in the European Conference League this season. However, it must be said that both clubs completely, or almost, fill their entire stadium’s capacity. 

Clubs like FC Augsburg (29,840) and the newly-promoted side FC St. Pauli (29,448) just miss out on a spot in the Bundesliga too. The second-tier club Karlsruher SC (29,789) also narrowly missed out on a promotion. But what might be even more surprising is that 3. Liga-side Dynamo Dresden (29,093) also almost made the list of Bundesliga teams. 

Lastly, VfL Bochum (25,565) and Holstein Kiel (14,874) also drop down. 

 

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Promoted teams

If we take a look at our new Bundesliga, it may come as a surprise to see five second-tier sides in the top 10 with the highest average attendance in German football. FC Schalke 04 (61,262), Hamburger SV (55,789), 1. FC Köln (49,944), Hertha BSC (48,244), and 1. FC Kaiserslautern (46,275) all make the top 10. Borussia Dortmund (81,365) has the highest average attendance, selling out its stadium every week, followed by Bayern Munich (75,000) who also manage to fill their arena every home match. 

Fortuna Düsseldorf (41,675), Hannover 96 (38,889), 1. FC Nuremberg (35,495) are the other three teams who made the jump up to the Bundesliga. In 2009, Fortuna Düsseldorf also set an all-time attendance record for third-level football in Germany when 50,095 people witnessed their club being promoted back into the 2. Bundesliga. 

Last year’s champions Bayer Leverkusen (29,877) only narrowly earns a spot in the top flight. 

 

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The Bundesliga reimagined: 

1. Borussia Dortmund (81,365)
2. Bayern Munich (75,000)
3. FC Schalke 04 (61,262)
4. VfB Stuttgart (59,250)
5. Eintracht Frankfurt (57,729)
6. Hamburger SV (55,789)
7. Borussia Mönchengladbach (53,149)
8. 1. FC Köln (49,944)
9. Hertha BSC (48,244)
10. 1. FC Kaiserslautern (46,275)
11. RB Leipzig (44,847)
12. SV Werder Bremen (42,100)
13. Fortuna Düsseldorf (41,675)
14. Hannover 96 (38,889)
15. 1. FC Nuremberg (35,495)
16. SC Freiburg (34,100)
17. 1. FSV Mainz (31,877)
18. Bayer Leverkusen (29,877)

All numbers are based on Transfermarkt’s data of average attendance across the Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga.