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German Football Association

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Article Genealogy
Parent: 1949 in Germany Hop 4
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German Football Association
NameGerman Football Association
Founded28 January 1900
HeadquartersFrankfurt
PresidentBernd Neuendorf
AffiliationFIFA (1904), UEFA (1954)
Websitedfb.de

German Football Association. The German Football Association is the national governing body for association football in Germany. Founded in 1900 in Leipzig, it is one of the world's oldest and largest national football associations, overseeing all aspects of the sport from grassroots to the professional game. It is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, and its men's national team is one of the most successful in history, having won four FIFA World Cup titles.

History

The association was established on 28 January 1900 by representatives from 86 clubs, with Ferdinand Hueppe elected as its first president. It joined FIFA in 1904, but German football was severely disrupted by both World War I and World War II. Following the war, the association was dissolved by the Allied Control Council and later re-founded in 1949 in West Germany, with its counterpart in East Germany, the German Football Association of the GDR, operating separately until German reunification in 1990. Key milestones include hosting the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA Euro 1988.

Structure and organization

The association is a registered association under German law, headquartered in the DFB Campus in Frankfurt. It is a federation of 21 regional associations and five state associations, which oversee over 24,000 clubs. Key subordinate bodies include DFB GmbH, which manages the national teams and major competitions, and DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, which operates the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. It maintains a close working relationship with the German Olympic Sports Confederation and operates the Sportschule Hennef for youth development.

National teams

The Germany national football team, known as *Die Mannschaft*, is among the most decorated, having won the FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014, and the UEFA European Championship in 1972, 1980, and 1996. The Germany women's national football team has also achieved great success, winning two FIFA Women's World Cup titles and eight UEFA Women's Championship trophies. The association also fields various youth national teams, such as the Germany national under-21 football team, which has won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship multiple times.

Competitions

The association organizes the premier domestic cup competition, the DFB-Pokal, which involves teams from all professional and amateur leagues. It also oversees the DFL-Supercup and, until its discontinuation, the DFB-Ligapokal. For women's football, it runs the DFB-Pokal (women) and sanctions the top-tier Frauen-Bundesliga. At the amateur level, it governs the Regionalliga and numerous lower-tier leagues through its regional associations, and organizes the annual DFB-Jugend-Kicker-Pokal for youth teams.

Presidents and leadership

Notable presidents have included founding president Ferdinand Hueppe, Felix Linnemann, and Peco Bauwens. In the post-war era, influential leaders include Hermann Neuberger, Egidius Braun, and Theo Zwanziger. The presidency of Wolfgang Niersbach ended in controversy in 2015, leading to the election of Reinhard Grindel, who later resigned. The current president, elected in 2022, is Bernd Neuendorf. Key administrative figures have included general secretaries like Helmut Sandrock and Friedrich Curtius.

Controversies and challenges

The association has faced several significant controversies, including the 2005 German football match-fixing scandal involving referee Robert Hoyzer. Its successful bid for the 2006 FIFA World Cup was later clouded by allegations surrounding a dubious payment to FIFA, leading to investigations and the resignation of President Wolfgang Niersbach. Other challenges have included addressing racism and discrimination in stadiums, managing financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing debates over fan culture, security, and the commercialization of the sport.

Category:Football governing bodies in Germany Category:National members of UEFA Category:Organizations established in 1900