Matt Ford

Full stories on Gegenpressing ➡️ gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

#bundesliga

On the terraces: Bayern ultras boycott Klassiker, Werder capo motivates team, HSV ultras protest against kick-off times - and RB 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 choreographies to fan protests to finances.

🇩🇪 On the terraces this week:

🔴 Bayern ultras boycott Klassiker amid more allegations of police violence
🟢 Werder Bremen capo gives motivational stadium address
🔵 HSV ultras protest against kick-off times - and red bull
🟣 Choreo of the Week: VfL Osnabrück

gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

Bundesliga brings in new financial regulations - How will that impact your club? On the first bonus show of the week, Stefan, Matt, and Manu get together to discuss the new financial regulations brought in by the Bundesliga, formerly known as the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL).

🎙️ Podcast: The #Bundesliga has announced new financial regulations limiting squad costs to no more than 70% of club income.

Won't have a huge immediate effect on most clubs - but does show a desire on the part of the league for financial sustainability.

gegenpressing.substack.com/p/bundesliga...

The Bundesliga is well-positioned to avoid European football's financial ticking time bomb As private equity firms buckle under €3 trillion in unsold assets, the Bundesliga's unique 50+1 rule is starting to look less like a relic of the past and more like a blueprint for the future.

As private equity firms - which now have their claws in 40% of Europe’s top clubs - buckle under €3 trillion in unsold assets, the Bundesliga's unique 50+1 rule is starting to look less like a relic of the past and more like a blueprint for the future.

gegenpressing.substack.com/p/the-bundes...

BVB und Polizei: Eskalation rund ums Westfalenstadion: Am Scheideweg Wir befinden uns wieder einmal mitten in einer Sicherheitsdebatte – doch diesmal fühlt sich vieles anders an. Über martialische Polizeiaufgebote im Westfalenstadion, Übergriffe auf Gästefans und Ausreiseverbote zu internationalen Spielen. Eine Analyse über den Fußball am Scheideweg.

Wir befinden uns wieder einmal mitten in einer Sicherheitsdebatte – doch diesmal fühlt sich vieles anders an. Über martialische Polizeiaufgebote im Westfalenstadion, Übergriffe auf Gästefans und Ausreiseverbote zu internationalen Spielen. Eine Analyse über den Fußball am Scheideweg.

Manchester ♥️

#mufc 🇾🇪

"Even the biggest Borussia pig should be in the stadium - whether in Germany or internationally: freedom of travel for fans!"

VfB Stuttgart supporters vs. Celtic last night after Borussia Dortmund fans were prevented from travelling to Bergamo this week.

Over 10,000 VfL Bochum supporters away at Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 2. Bundesliga this evening - their biggest away following since May 2023 in Berlin.

📷 @danwighton.bsky.social

🎙️ Reaction to Borussia Dortmund‘s Champions League exit - and the controversial travel bans issued to some #BVB supporters - over on Gegenpressing.

w/ @manuelveth.bsky.social ➡️ gegenpressing.substack.com/p/a-night-to...

On the terraces: Dortmund travel bans, Kwasniok comments, Schalke players on Nordkurve, Aue pitch invasion 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 choreographies to fan protests to finances.

🇩🇪 On the terraces this week:

🇮🇹 #BVB ultras to boycott Atalanta away tonight - latest
🇲🇨 Köln, Kwasniok & Kompany
🔵 Schalke: Edin Dzeko on Nordkurve
🟣 Aue pitch invasion amid flag saga
🟢 Choreo of the week: Hannover 96

Full stories on Gegenpressing ⬇️

gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

Also criticism of Atalanta's ticket prices (and, like PSG and Newcastle fans recently, praise for BVB's ticketing policy):

"18 euros in Dortmund, 32 in Bergamo - we want affordable prices for popular terraces!"

#atabvb #ucl

"No to blacklists - for free travel and free support!"

Atalanta ultras' banner in solidarity with absent Borussia Dortmund counterparts who are boycotting after hundreds of fans were issued with travel bans.

Full story on Gegenpressing ➡️ gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

#atabvb #ucl

On the terraces: Dortmund travel bans, Kwasniok comments, Schalke players on Nordkurve, Aue pitch invasion 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 choreographies to fan protests to finances.

🇩🇪 On the terraces this week:

🇮🇹 #BVB ultras to boycott Atalanta away tonight - latest
🇲🇨 Köln, Kwasniok & Kompany
🔵 Schalke: Edin Dzeko on Nordkurve
🟣 Aue pitch invasion amid flag saga
🟢 Choreo of the week: Hannover 96

Full stories on Gegenpressing ⬇️

gegenpressing.substack.com/p/on-the-ter...

Oder auch Jena 😬

Naja … 8. März … 🙏

Wie schätzt du die Stärke der Liga ein im Vergleich zum Nordosten?

Bitte 🙏 👀

Update: Borussia Dortmund express their "surprise" at the "disproportionate" measures taken against their supporters en route to Bergamo, which they say are "completely incomprehensible."

Full statement: www.bvb.de/de/de/aktuel...

Dozens domestically, it would seem. But it’s not my area of expertise. Frankfurt in Naples (twice) have been the ones that cropped up on my radar.

This is just the latest example of football supporters being subject to illegal restrictions on their freedom of movement this season. Previous examples include:

Bayern in Paris
Freiburg in Nice
Frankfurt in Naples
Newcastle in Marseille
Tottenham in Paris
Bayern in London
Stuttgart in Deventer

As a reminder: Germany & Italy are members of the European Union's free-movement Schengen Zone in which German & Italian citizens, as European citizens, are entitled to move freely. Unless, it would appear, they are football supporters, in which case they can be stopped for wearing a certain jumper.

Südtribüne Dortmund: "In almost 16 years of continuous participation in Europe, these circumstances are unprecedented for us. For this reason, the active groups of the Südtribüne Dortmund have reluctantly decided to stay away from the match in Bergamo." #BVB

The travel bans come after Italian authorities initially banned #BVB from selling away tickets to any fans not resident in Germany - for reasons unknown. Borussia Dortmund managed to have this discriminatory restriction overturned. But the harassment of football fans has continued at airport gates.

According to local Dortmund newspaper WAZ, the travel bans were issued to supporters under German passport law (Passgesetz) because their journeys were deemed to pose "substantial concern to the Federal Republic." Some of these bans have already been quashed by spontaneous court rulings.

According to the Südtribüne Dortmund, up to 300 #BVB fans were stopped at airport gates for "spurious" reasons including wearing clothes associated with the active fan scene or carrying stickers. Some fans already in Bergamo have reportedly even been visited by local police in their accommodation.

Borussia Dortmund's active fan scene and ultra groups will boycott the Champions League play-off second leg away at Atalanta Bergamo on Wednesday night after hundreds of #BVB fans were subject to spontaneous travel bans at German airports this week.

Details so far:

Monday Bulletin: Davies injury update, Kimmich error, Dortmund's big match failures, Baumgartner shines and more! Monday bulletin

Free to read: the Gegenpressing Monday Bulletin - one of the best yet, imo.

🇨🇦 Alphonso Davies‘ injury: @manuelveth.bsky.social with the latest

🇩🇪 RBL 2-2 BVB: @danwighton.bsky.social reports from Leipzig

🇩🇪 And I report from Mainz & Munich

#bundesliga

gegenpressing.substack.com/p/monday-bul...

😎

Counter-attack. Away end. Movements. Get in. #mufc 🇾🇪

The lads and lasses in Freiburg know the score better than most.

The key to a good atmosphere isn’t the design of a stand for marketing purposes; it’s affordable, accessible, flexible ticketing on a large scale so as to give a young, independent fan culture space to grow. Yes, English football limited by law to an extent. But also by a consumerist mentality.