The European Championships in Germany this summer is one that sets the pulses racing. Any right-minded football fan will be looking forward to this one for numerous reasons. First, Germany is a country with fantastic fan culture at both club and international level. Second, it’s a country that has a lot to offer tourists at any time, let alone for a festival of football over the course of a summer with good weather. Third, this is one of the last chances football fans will get to experience a summer international tournament in one country without logistical headaches, moral dilemmas, and cost implications. This makes Germany an exciting one. So, dust off your travel gear, get ready for your Euros football predictor game with your pals, and plot your journey around Germany this summer.

If you are looking forward to Germany 2024, this is a guide all about football fan culture in the country, and why it has become a beacon of hope for fan groups across the world, a model of fan-owned football that many would like to replicate elsewhere. 

The history of fan culture in Germany

Germany has always been a football crazy country, but when you think of the size and the fanbases of some of the biggest clubs over there, it is easy to see why it is a destination for many football fans across the world. There are loads of tour groups visiting Dortmund’s Yellow Wall, going to watch Bayern play, St Pauli as a bastion of left wing morals in Hamburg, and the huge clubs in Cologne and Frankfurt, to name just a few. On top of that, the German national team has had great success throughout its history, with multiple world cups and European championships to its name. 

50+1

The biggest difference between German football and countries like England, is that it introduced the 50+1 rule in 1998. What this has done is maintain fan control over clubs and prevented wealthy individuals and corporations from taking over teams and treating them like their plaything (see Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain for direct comparisons). No commercial investor can hold more than 49% of the shares of a football club, apart from some exceptions (Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, and RB Leipzig – either formed before 1998 by specific companies or through a Red Bull employee loophole that other German clubs do not agree with).

The 50+1 rule has meant that:

• Tickets remain affordable for the average working class fan
• Safe standing areas have been introduced to maintain safety standards without diminishing the fan culture and atmosphere at grounds
• Protests and actions are permitted to call out social issues and local community pressure points for each club
• Football is nothing without the fans and the television product needs fans in the stands for the visual impact, meaning greater leverage for German fan groups

As you can see, the Germans LOVE football. Where many people see Germany as a country that is efficient, a little dull and orderly in how they conduct their daily lives, when it comes to the beautiful game, they are absolutely mad for it. With the 50+1 rule in place, the fan groups have a much greater say in how football clubs and the Bundesliga is run than say, fan groups in England and the Premier League. This makes for a vibrant, creative fan culture that speaks volumes about the country and its people. It also means that as far as international tournaments go, it is hard to think of a better place to visit as a football fan. The UK and Ireland will certainly have a lot to live up to in 2028! Get prepared for the tournament and invite your mates to join a Euros football predictor game, adding extra competitive flames to the fire that is Euro 2024!