Difficult puzzle
DFL publishes Bundesliga fixtures
Many fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the Bundesliga fixtures. photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
Who is playing the opening game? Who will my favorite club play first? When are top games or derbies coming up? All of these questions will be answered on Friday.
There are still a good four weeks until the start of the season in the 2nd Bundesliga, and the Bundesliga doesn’t even get going until August 18th – but this Friday the fans will already be informed of the publication of the fixtures from the German Football League served a first appetizer. As always, the experts from the umbrella organization of German professional football had a lot to think about when it came to the design.
How is a Bundesliga schedule created?
The basis is the framework schedule, which specifies the most important dates of a season. It contains all match days of the international football associations FIFA and UEFA, around which the dates of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, each with 306 games, as well as the DFB Cup are set.
What is there to consider?
The DFL uses specially developed software to create the game schedules, which also makes individual adjustments for the respective clubs possible outside of the pure scheduling scheme. In this way, specifications from municipalities or security bodies as well as requests from clubs, stadium operators and media partners can be taken into account with computer help.
This also means that neighboring clubs should play their home games at different times and that public holidays, parallel major events or game dates in the European Cup competitions are included. Hundreds of options are checked. “Without this technical support, the numerous variables could hardly be processed,” says a DFL background on the game plan puzzle. But: “The human factor remains indispensable even in the age of technology and digitization.”
How long does it take to design the schedule?
Planning will begin in the spring. The hot phase starts when all decisions about promotion and relegation have been made in the current season.
Which key data have already been determined?
The opening game in the Bundesliga, for which the defending champion is usually seeded, takes place on August 18th. After the 16th matchday (December 19th/20th), the short winter break begins, which ends on January 12th, 2024. The 34th and last matchday is scheduled for May 18th next year.
In the 2nd Bundesliga it starts three weeks earlier on July 28th. But the clubs have a little more time to catch their breath in winter. After the 17th matchday (December 15-17), the ball rests until January 19, 2024. The season finale will take place on May 19, 2024.
This is followed by the relegation games for promotion to the Bundesliga between table 16. from the upper house and third in the 2nd division (May 23rd and 27th) as well as promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga between table 16. from the lower house and third place in the 3rd division (May 24th and 28th).
Are there any special features?
Just like last season, the champions (FC Bayern Munich) and the cup winners (RB Leipzig) are dueling for the Supercup just a week before the Bundesliga season kicks off. Since the date on August 12 collides with the first round of the DFB Cup (August 11-14), the two top teams will not play their first round matches until the end of September.