Germany's Bundesliga will be on show to the world in Saturday's Champions League final when Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund in the first all-German European cup finale. Wembley is set to be bathed in black, red and gold for the day and football fans will have a chance to see why the crowds are turning to the German league in their droves.
With an average of 44,293, the Bundesliga has the highest attendance figures in the world with the cheapest season ticket for an adult standing on the terraces costing 120 euros (155 dollars, 102 pounds) at Bayern's Allianz Arena, while Dortmund charge 187 euros (241 dollars, 160 pounds) at the Westfalenstadion. In contrast, last season's prices in the English Premier League (EPL) saw the cheapest season ticket at Arsenal set fans back 985 pounds (1,151 euros, 1,488 dollars), while it cost 255 pounds (298 euros, 385 dollars) to watch relegated Wigan Athletic.
The Bundesliga is now broadcast in 150 countries, but still falls behind the EPL in terms of global popularity, although in terms of value-for-money in the stadiums, the German league goes from strength to strength. Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has said the attitude of clubs towards their fans is the key difference between the leagues in England and Germany. "We could charge more than £102. Let's say we charged £300. We'd get £2m more in income but what's £2m to us?," said the Bayern boss.
"In a transfer discussion, you argue about that sum for five minutes. But the difference between £102 and £300 is huge for the fan. "We do not think the fans are like cows, who you milk. Football has got to be for everybody. "That's the biggest difference between us and England." Another key factor is the Bundesliga's "50+1 ownership" rule, wich protects German clubs from interference by big-spending overseas backers.
English clubs receive huge funds from foreign investors, with wealthy figures from Russia, the Middle East and Asia filling various clubs' coffers, leading to three Champions League winners (Liverpool in 2005, Manchester United in 2008 and Chelsea in 2012), plus five runners-up from the EPL.
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