The most popular sport to be played and viewed in Germany is football (Fußball), with the Bundesliga, Germany’s football league being one of the most famous football leagues in Europe. German people are very passionate about their sport, and this topic is one of the best to study when learning German, as it will enable you to hold a lengthy and interesting conversation with German natives.
Although Fußball is the most played and watched sport in Germany, there are many sports that are practised and watched, producing some of the World’s biggest sports stars.
Tennis
Germany had huge success in the 80s and 90s with incredible wins and memorable moments. Boris Becker was the youngest player ever to win a title at Wimbledon at 17, and went on to win six major singles titles including the U.S. Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Not to be outdone as the only famous German tennis star, Steffi Graf led the female side with 22 major titles, as well as being crowned world number one in 1987, a title she held for over four years.
Speaking of world number ones, Angelique Kerber ranked number one in 2016 after a hugely successful year overcoming Serena Williams and Karolina Plíšková.
With role models such as these, we have no doubt the next generation of tennis stars will be just as successful.
Formula 1
Once hailed as the greatest racing driver of all time, Michael Schumacher dominated the F1 scene from the 90s to 00s. Ranked as the highest paid driver in the world, he has won seven championships, and still holds the most victories in F1 history.
Another famous Formula 1 world champion is Sebastian Vettel who started out as a test driver for BMW in 2006, going on then to win four championships. Vettel is still racing, and is signed to drive for Aston Martin in 2021.
Not only do Germans manufacture the best cars in the world, we also know how to drive them really well too!
Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey is one of the most popular professional sports in Germany, with a record number of German players moving to the U.S National Hockey League (NHL). Uwe Krupp was the second German to ever play in America, as well as winning the Stanley Cup, he also coached the German national team to the semi finals of the world tournament in 2010.
Most German cities have their own team, with Germany seen as one of the best countries in the world for talented players such as Leon Draisaitl, and Philipp Grubauer.
With excellent facilities, training and motivation, you will continue to see German ice hockey stars succeed internationally.
Football
As mentioned earlier the Bundesliga is one of the most watched football leagues in Europe, with renowned players such as Manuel Neuer, Marco Reus and Thomas Muller to name a few.
The Bundesliga was the first major football league to return to play during the pandemic, with players lining out on May 15th behind closed doors. It has produced international players who have continued their success in other leagues such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kevin de Bruyne.
Football is so popular in Germany that the German Olympic Sports Federation (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund) has 89,000 teams on their books, with over 27 million members-that is almost 1 in every 3 Germans! It is no wonder Germany has won the World Cup four times, with 2014 being the last time.
No matter what language you speak or what country you are from, sport is one of those unique activities that knows no boundaries. We often speak of sporting clubs, players etc in class, both from Germany and Ireland, and we find it is one of the most passionate topics to discuss, as well as one of the most liked.
As you all know we are back in our school teaching, and we couldn’t be happier to see our students progress in the classroom. Apart from our love of teaching German, and our teachers all being native Germans, we also offer combined courses where students can study with us online while gaining the atmosphere and experience of our classroom.
If you would like to brush up on your German sports knowledge, or advance your German language skills, please check out our timetable for courses that suit your ability.
If you have any questions please email us info@germanmind.ie