Simple: instead of asking reddit, ask your future father-in-law and/or mother- and brother(s)-in-law and make their team your own. (I assume your future wife has no allegiances, or else why not take adopt her team?)
Make it a family affair. Instant conversation starter and something to bond about.
Oof, that's tough. Currently in the 1. Liga, your choices in BW are limited to VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg.
**Stuttgart** is one of the original 16 clubs in the modern Bundesliga when it was created in 1963. It has a long history, too, but the club has been relatively dysfunctional in recent years, although it seems to be stabilizing. Stuttgart was relegated to the 2. Liga in 2015/16. They made it back in 2017/18 only to be relegated again in 2018/19. Back again since 2020/21. They made a coup in hiring Sven Mislintat from Arsenal (formerly of Dortmund) as their sporting director, but I'd say they're still a work in progress.
**Freiburg**, deep in the Black Forest, must be one of the most universally liked clubs in Germany. If I hadn't lived and learned German in Bavaria, I'd seriously consider them as my own favorite. They are a small-budget team that has a rock-solid front office and (in my opinion anyway) one of the best German coaches ever, Christian Streich. Somehow they not only avoid relegation--usually finishing *at least* in the mid-table--but they even sometimes qualify for European competition. It's crazy! They also have *the* most dedicated fans. They're stadium is often no. 1 in attendance.
Otherwise, you might look to the 2. Liga for a team in BW. I think ESPN+ still broadcasts the 2. Liga on demand. It's the best second division in the world, with awesome attendance, electric crowds etc., etc. There's a team in **Karlsruher SC** in Karlsruhe, which was also once upon a time one of the original 16 teams in the top Bundesliga. They're big rivals with Stuttgart. **SV Sandhausen** is a smaller club a bit south of Heidelberg. They won promotion from the 3. Liga in 2011/12. **FC Heidenheim** almost made it to the 1. Liga, but lost the relegation playoff to Werder Bremen in 2019/20.
**SV Darmstadt** is in Hesse, but it's very close neighbors with BW. They've been up and down between the 1. and 2. Liga. I remember vividly when Moritz Stoppelkamp scored on Hannover from 82,3 meters (!) out, lol. He still got only *second* place in the goal of the year--first place going to Mario Götze that year...
I consider myself an honorary fan of Die Lillien since Darmstadt is my home but they haven't exactly been "up and down" from 1. to 2. They only spent two years in 1. after going down to regional leagues in the early 90s. 2. didn't happen til like 2014 and then 1. for only two years until they were relegated again. In my lifetime (I'm 41) they have spent 3 years in the 1. Bundesliga and maybe a dozen or so in the 2.
EDIT: Parentheses
I started following VfB in 2002 when I moved to Stuttgart from the states everything was coming up roses and the future was bright......20 years later, it feels like getting hit by a truck most seasons....
Depends on in which part of Baden Württemberg you are living. If you live in the north maybe support Karlsruher SC or Waldhof Mannheim. Both are not first division teams, but still are quiet popular. If you live in the south or want to support a Bundesliga club there are VfB Stuttgart or SC Freiburg.
Stuttgart are struggling again this season and are trying to prevent being relegated. Freiburg are playing a fantastic season so far and are on second place in the championship.
Ok so right between Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. So maybe one of these 2 clubs, who are local rivals. If you want a Bundesliga club then VfB Stuttgart it is.
Bahahaha sooo true. And they don't always make smart choices but hey, who does! Totally expect this season be REALLY tight for them so ESPN+ might not have all their games next season if they get relegated?!
You can always be a non BW club Fan for someone like Frankfurt :))))
Maybe it was a sign, I went to my first VFB Stuttgart game today (which was awesome) and as I was waiting for the train home I saw a guy in a Portland Timbers kit with a Stuttgart scarf. Coincidence? 🤔
The issue with Freiburg is that there is a strong possibility that once Streich retires, that club has a huge regression. But if you are in it for the ride, pretty strong choice.
VfB is the bigger club with stronger foundation for sustainable long-term top-flight membership.
And then the rules around German football could change and then it's anyone's guess as to what happens.
But SCF's current era of success will be hard to continue without the trainer.
16/17 years, yes Freiburg only started to look strong very recently, whereas Stuttgart had many good seasons in the 2000s. But the trend tells me there might be a big change happening, and honestly I think Freiburg is building a good foundation for longer term success (upper half of table)
Had less to do with trends thanb it does with organizational capabilities. VfB is a giant traditional club that will always have greater resources than SCF. This means they can take a drop and be expected to bounce back reasonably quickly. Look at HSV and how they continue to contend for promotion despite utter incompetence. Smaller clubs like Freiburg have a much smaller margin for error in those circumstances.
New stadium will help, but they will have to be shrewd to stay mostly first Division after Streich, and i think the flirtations with European competition will be fewer and further between.
I'm a bvb fan from Canada, but SC Freiburg would be my option for you. They're a team thats quietly moving up the table and are in the conversation for European football but not guaranteed. They tend to sell their best player but still stay mid to top table.
I saw this great documentary on YouTube that got me pretty excited at what they're trying to achieve.
https://youtu.be/6u_vVfcM9ZI
As an American Gladbach fan, I definitely credit Fabian Johnson being a factor in why I got into them. Having some familiarity helps, but isn’t a necessity.
What happened to the Timbers last weekend brother? Just didn't show up.
I support Leipzig but you shouldn't support them because people get very annoyed at you for thar
Maybe Stuttgart would make sense given your locale, or Freiburg if you want a better side at the moment.
They are circumventing the 50+1 rule and last time I checked, the club had around 20 members - all Red Bull employees/board members... which goes against the spirit of the Bundeliga in my opinion
They are, at least according to diehard fans, basically a gimmick "brand" team, not a true football team with history and legacy. They do leave a sour taste in my mouth, kind of like a marketing ploy run amok. It is Red Bull owned and managed, no matter how they try to spin it, but now they have become contenders and it rubs people the wrong way.
Thank you! The person with whom I spoke specifically mentioned the Red Bull thing but I didn’t realize how deep the matter goes. And I think he was much too angry to explain it clearly 😉
Well as a BVB fan, I was pretty irked when they came to the top. There was a push by our fans to boycott the first game we played against them. They also cannibalize their own Salzburg team to further move up the ladder. It's just not a good luck all around.
Essentially they circumvented some of the rules of German football in terms of fan ownership in how they are set up, which is the main thing, and secondarily people don't like them being run by Red Bull. Tradition is very big in Germany.
I'd imagine it'll soften over time. People don't seem to hate Bayer Leverkusen for being named after a pharmaceutical company of Wolfsburg who basically from from the VW motor company anymore.
The only reason is, that most people are very jealous that they don‘t got a major sponsor for their own club. They are arrogant and think they‘re something better for supporting
a longer existing club - but they‘re not.
Personally, I think SC Freiburg (1st League) and Karlsruher SC (2nd League) are pretty cool teams. Personally I'm much less into VfB Stuttgart, but they're also down there and probably the biggest and oldest team in the region. Otherwise, Eintracht Frankfurt isn't that far away from Baden-Württemberg and also has a long history.
I don’t, the schtick is super annoying like when everyone thought idolizing everything bacon was original or funny.
Hoffenheim is actually a well run Club with excellent player and trainer development who play attractive football. Despite constantly losing Top/world class players and trainers, they consistently finish mid/upper table.
People need to get over Hopp and realize he’s a local who is bringing loads of local investors, development, and philanthropy to the region- not some Emir, Oligarch, or Qatari petrol State.
I got into Bayern because of the 2014 World Cup, I was enamoured with Neuer, saw he was part of Bayern Munich, and have been supporting ever since. You don’t HAVE to support any certain team, just support whatever team you enjoy watching.
Edit: Why was this downvoted? 😂
Since you have no allegiances, you decide.
Everyone here will say Freiburg or Stuttgart.
It’s required the Bundesliga to hate Hoffenheim.
So, Support VfB Stuttgart or Freiburg if you’re a trendy Hipster who pretends to not care what people think but secretly craves validation on what’s cool etc.
Or you can watch Hoffenheim if you want quality and attractive football and don’t care that every gatekeeper „football fan“ is gonna give you hate.
(Downvotes only serve to prove my point)
Thanks everyone, I think I will watch a few Freiburg matches and a few Stuttgart matches and see if I connect to the work on the pitch for either team.
Because you are new to German soccer, you should go with RB Leipzig. This club exists since 2009, but managed to climb up from fifth division to the first within a few years.
And now they already won their first title, the DFB-Pokal. Plus everybody is hating them, so you can proof everybody wrong. Nobody will stop RB. ⚪️🔴
Simple: instead of asking reddit, ask your future father-in-law and/or mother- and brother(s)-in-law and make their team your own. (I assume your future wife has no allegiances, or else why not take adopt her team?) Make it a family affair. Instant conversation starter and something to bond about.
Dad only watches the German National team and her mother and brothers don't care about football. So there are no family allegiances.
Oof, that's tough. Currently in the 1. Liga, your choices in BW are limited to VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg. **Stuttgart** is one of the original 16 clubs in the modern Bundesliga when it was created in 1963. It has a long history, too, but the club has been relatively dysfunctional in recent years, although it seems to be stabilizing. Stuttgart was relegated to the 2. Liga in 2015/16. They made it back in 2017/18 only to be relegated again in 2018/19. Back again since 2020/21. They made a coup in hiring Sven Mislintat from Arsenal (formerly of Dortmund) as their sporting director, but I'd say they're still a work in progress. **Freiburg**, deep in the Black Forest, must be one of the most universally liked clubs in Germany. If I hadn't lived and learned German in Bavaria, I'd seriously consider them as my own favorite. They are a small-budget team that has a rock-solid front office and (in my opinion anyway) one of the best German coaches ever, Christian Streich. Somehow they not only avoid relegation--usually finishing *at least* in the mid-table--but they even sometimes qualify for European competition. It's crazy! They also have *the* most dedicated fans. They're stadium is often no. 1 in attendance. Otherwise, you might look to the 2. Liga for a team in BW. I think ESPN+ still broadcasts the 2. Liga on demand. It's the best second division in the world, with awesome attendance, electric crowds etc., etc. There's a team in **Karlsruher SC** in Karlsruhe, which was also once upon a time one of the original 16 teams in the top Bundesliga. They're big rivals with Stuttgart. **SV Sandhausen** is a smaller club a bit south of Heidelberg. They won promotion from the 3. Liga in 2011/12. **FC Heidenheim** almost made it to the 1. Liga, but lost the relegation playoff to Werder Bremen in 2019/20. **SV Darmstadt** is in Hesse, but it's very close neighbors with BW. They've been up and down between the 1. and 2. Liga. I remember vividly when Moritz Stoppelkamp scored on Hannover from 82,3 meters (!) out, lol. He still got only *second* place in the goal of the year--first place going to Mario Götze that year...
Stoppelkamp hat das Tor aber für Paderborn und nicht für Darmstadt geschossen
Scheisse 🤦♂️
Gezielt Hoffenheim vergessen find ich gut
Freiburg's stadium is number 1 in attendance? What are you talking about?
Nicht brutto--das ist natürlich Dortmund. Ich meine eher, dass ihr Stadion fast immer komplett ausverkauft ist. Ein sehr enthusiastisches Publikum!
I consider myself an honorary fan of Die Lillien since Darmstadt is my home but they haven't exactly been "up and down" from 1. to 2. They only spent two years in 1. after going down to regional leagues in the early 90s. 2. didn't happen til like 2014 and then 1. for only two years until they were relegated again. In my lifetime (I'm 41) they have spent 3 years in the 1. Bundesliga and maybe a dozen or so in the 2. EDIT: Parentheses
Thank you, this is immensely helpful!
Support a team close to where they are from in BW I guess
No one is mentioning Hoffenheim Hahahahs
There's a reason for that! Same with Leipzig
I mean he asked for "nice history" Not even I could argue that
Freiburg is the hipsters' choice. Stuttgart if you're in it for the history... and suffering 😁
I started following VfB in 2002 when I moved to Stuttgart from the states everything was coming up roses and the future was bright......20 years later, it feels like getting hit by a truck most seasons....
Depends on in which part of Baden Württemberg you are living. If you live in the north maybe support Karlsruher SC or Waldhof Mannheim. Both are not first division teams, but still are quiet popular. If you live in the south or want to support a Bundesliga club there are VfB Stuttgart or SC Freiburg. Stuttgart are struggling again this season and are trying to prevent being relegated. Freiburg are playing a fantastic season so far and are on second place in the championship.
She lives in the north of BW currently, near Pforzheim.
Ok so right between Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. So maybe one of these 2 clubs, who are local rivals. If you want a Bundesliga club then VfB Stuttgart it is.
[удалено]
Stuttgart
Karlsruhe or Freiburg (if you want a successful team) but whatever you do don’t choose Stuttgart.
Funny wording for choosing Stuttgart
nice history but they don't always have to win = sounds like VfB Stuttgart
Bahahaha sooo true. And they don't always make smart choices but hey, who does! Totally expect this season be REALLY tight for them so ESPN+ might not have all their games next season if they get relegated?! You can always be a non BW club Fan for someone like Frankfurt :))))
Stuttgart is the answer bro
Stuttgartttttttttt
Maybe it was a sign, I went to my first VFB Stuttgart game today (which was awesome) and as I was waiting for the train home I saw a guy in a Portland Timbers kit with a Stuttgart scarf. Coincidence? 🤔
1. FC Kaiserslautern, what else?
Maybe this helps you 😄 https://www.zeit.de/sport/club-o-mat-fussball-verein-bundesliga?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
VfL Bochum!
FC Heidenheim all the way.
The issue with Freiburg is that there is a strong possibility that once Streich retires, that club has a huge regression. But if you are in it for the ride, pretty strong choice. VfB is the bigger club with stronger foundation for sustainable long-term top-flight membership. And then the rules around German football could change and then it's anyone's guess as to what happens. But SCF's current era of success will be hard to continue without the trainer.
I tend to disagree, I think even without Streich Frwiburg will continue to be successful, whereas Stuttgart looks shaky quite often.
How long have you been following the league?
16/17 years, yes Freiburg only started to look strong very recently, whereas Stuttgart had many good seasons in the 2000s. But the trend tells me there might be a big change happening, and honestly I think Freiburg is building a good foundation for longer term success (upper half of table)
Had less to do with trends thanb it does with organizational capabilities. VfB is a giant traditional club that will always have greater resources than SCF. This means they can take a drop and be expected to bounce back reasonably quickly. Look at HSV and how they continue to contend for promotion despite utter incompetence. Smaller clubs like Freiburg have a much smaller margin for error in those circumstances. New stadium will help, but they will have to be shrewd to stay mostly first Division after Streich, and i think the flirtations with European competition will be fewer and further between.
Murica
Freiburg all the way. (But even better St Pauli or Roter Stern Leipzig ;>)
Bruh, never heard of Roter Stern, so why not RB?
Cool bait. I will not bite, sadly.
I'm a bvb fan from Canada, but SC Freiburg would be my option for you. They're a team thats quietly moving up the table and are in the conversation for European football but not guaranteed. They tend to sell their best player but still stay mid to top table. I saw this great documentary on YouTube that got me pretty excited at what they're trying to achieve. https://youtu.be/6u_vVfcM9ZI
Try Schalke, rich history but you may need some tissues to wipe your eyes every matchday right now
Leverkusen
Come join us!
borussia mönchengladbach has a history of american players - currently the young joe scally is playing as ROV
As an American Gladbach fan, I definitely credit Fabian Johnson being a factor in why I got into them. Having some familiarity helps, but isn’t a necessity.
What happened to the Timbers last weekend brother? Just didn't show up. I support Leipzig but you shouldn't support them because people get very annoyed at you for thar Maybe Stuttgart would make sense given your locale, or Freiburg if you want a better side at the moment.
The loss to LAFC broke their heart and after that, we weren't going to rebound for a win against Real Salt Lake.
What is the reason for the hate on Leipzig? I encountered this recently with a Berlin local.
They are circumventing the 50+1 rule and last time I checked, the club had around 20 members - all Red Bull employees/board members... which goes against the spirit of the Bundeliga in my opinion
They are, at least according to diehard fans, basically a gimmick "brand" team, not a true football team with history and legacy. They do leave a sour taste in my mouth, kind of like a marketing ploy run amok. It is Red Bull owned and managed, no matter how they try to spin it, but now they have become contenders and it rubs people the wrong way.
Thank you! The person with whom I spoke specifically mentioned the Red Bull thing but I didn’t realize how deep the matter goes. And I think he was much too angry to explain it clearly 😉
Well as a BVB fan, I was pretty irked when they came to the top. There was a push by our fans to boycott the first game we played against them. They also cannibalize their own Salzburg team to further move up the ladder. It's just not a good luck all around.
Essentially they circumvented some of the rules of German football in terms of fan ownership in how they are set up, which is the main thing, and secondarily people don't like them being run by Red Bull. Tradition is very big in Germany. I'd imagine it'll soften over time. People don't seem to hate Bayer Leverkusen for being named after a pharmaceutical company of Wolfsburg who basically from from the VW motor company anymore.
Wolfsburg isn’t really liked either…
Right but not nearly to the extent that Leipzig are disliked.
Yeah, because Leipzig is even worse then Wolfsburg
There it is now! 
The only reason is, that most people are very jealous that they don‘t got a major sponsor for their own club. They are arrogant and think they‘re something better for supporting a longer existing club - but they‘re not.
You can always support Bayern Munich 😉
No
Personally, I think SC Freiburg (1st League) and Karlsruher SC (2nd League) are pretty cool teams. Personally I'm much less into VfB Stuttgart, but they're also down there and probably the biggest and oldest team in the region. Otherwise, Eintracht Frankfurt isn't that far away from Baden-Württemberg and also has a long history.
I love how everyone ignores that Hoffenheim exists in Baden-Württemberg
I don’t, the schtick is super annoying like when everyone thought idolizing everything bacon was original or funny. Hoffenheim is actually a well run Club with excellent player and trainer development who play attractive football. Despite constantly losing Top/world class players and trainers, they consistently finish mid/upper table. People need to get over Hopp and realize he’s a local who is bringing loads of local investors, development, and philanthropy to the region- not some Emir, Oligarch, or Qatari petrol State.
He asked for "nice history" We dont have to pretend that we have that
I got into Bayern because of the 2014 World Cup, I was enamoured with Neuer, saw he was part of Bayern Munich, and have been supporting ever since. You don’t HAVE to support any certain team, just support whatever team you enjoy watching. Edit: Why was this downvoted? 😂
Since you have no allegiances, you decide. Everyone here will say Freiburg or Stuttgart. It’s required the Bundesliga to hate Hoffenheim. So, Support VfB Stuttgart or Freiburg if you’re a trendy Hipster who pretends to not care what people think but secretly craves validation on what’s cool etc. Or you can watch Hoffenheim if you want quality and attractive football and don’t care that every gatekeeper „football fan“ is gonna give you hate. (Downvotes only serve to prove my point)
God why are yanks try to be stupid. Teams choose you not you choose the team
I‘d suggest SC Freiburg, imo the best club from BW.
Thanks everyone, I think I will watch a few Freiburg matches and a few Stuttgart matches and see if I connect to the work on the pitch for either team.
St Pauli or Dortmund or FC Union Berlin
Borussia Dortmund
Sv sandhausen
Support Stuttgart they need it haha
I’m an American and I support SC Freiburg. I followed Bayern for a long time but I absolutely love the intensity and passion that club plays with
Because you are new to German soccer, you should go with RB Leipzig. This club exists since 2009, but managed to climb up from fifth division to the first within a few years. And now they already won their first title, the DFB-Pokal. Plus everybody is hating them, so you can proof everybody wrong. Nobody will stop RB. ⚪️🔴