Profile
Facts, figures and milestones
Profile – Facts, figures and milestones
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund (Borussia Dortmund, BVB) is one of the most successful football clubs in Germany. Through the end of 2019, the club won eight German championships (most recently 2012) and four DFB-Pokals. Their last domestic cup triumph dates from 2017 (as of December 2019).
BVB became the first German European cup winner in 1966 and occupy second place in the Bundesliga all-time table by actual points won (as of December 2019). Since the 1976/77 season, Borussia Dortmund have played uninterrupted in the Bundesliga and have reached four further European finals since 1993, most recently in 2013.
The name "Borussia" derives from the old Latin word for Prussia. The Signal Iduna Park (Westfalenstadion), with a capacity of 81,360, is Germany's largest football-only stadium. The Südtribüne, accommodating 25,000 standing spectators, is Europe's largest terrace. For Champions League matches, the capacity is reduced to 66,000 (all-seater requirement).
With 155,244 members (as of December 1, 2018), Borussia Dortmund are Germany's third-largest sports club and the fifth-largest worldwide. Since November 1999, the first-team squad, reserve team and U19s have been outsourced into Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien — a listed partnership limited by shares.
Fan friendships: Borussia Dortmund's fans, organised in more than 850 official fan clubs (as of November 2019), have maintained friendships since the 1970s with Rot-Weiß Essen, since the first UEFA Cup encounter in 1987 with Celtic Glasgow, and since 1976 with Hamburger SV. Looser friendships have existed since the 1990s with SC Freiburg.
The greatest fan rivalry exists with FC Schalke 04 supporters. This animosity reaches its linguistic peak in the substitution of the rival's name with "Lüdenscheid-Nord" (for Dortmund) and "Herne-West" (for Schalke). Bayern München and VfL Bochum are also traditionally despised by the Dortmund faithful, and more recently RB Leipzig.
The club song "Wir halten fest und treu zusammen" is played less frequently at home matches. The official stadium anthem is "You'll Never Walk Alone." The fact that this anthem, introduced to football by Liverpool FC, was sung jointly before the clubs' first Europa League meeting in April 2016 brought BVB fans to tears worldwide.
For the 100th anniversary on December 19, 2009, the "Walk of Fame" was unveiled. The walkway tells the club history through 100 stars distributed across the city, spanning from the first official match (1911) through the first Westdeutsche Meisterschaft (1948), the back-to-back championships of 1956 and 1957, to the centenary celebration.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Borussia Dortmund founded?
Borussia Dortmund were founded on December 19, 1909 in Dortmund, Germany.
How many Bundesliga titles has BVB won?
Borussia Dortmund have won eight German championships (1956, 1957, 1963, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2011, 2012).
How big is Signal Iduna Park?
Signal Iduna Park holds 81,365 spectators, making it the largest football stadium in Germany. The Südtribüne (Yellow Wall) holds 25,000 standing fans.