As the last round of Champions League group games are approaching this post may come too late for you if you watched games like ARS-BVB. Which game? While teams from the Premiership often get shortened to the first three letters, Bundesliga teams are often referred to by their club’s acronym or shorthand. Sadly, BV Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund‘s campaign may come to an end this week for the 1997 champion, after not having been able to adjust to demands of international competition quickly enough in their return to Europe’s top flight. But this quick intro to the amazing world of Bundesliga acronyms may help to impress anyone watching a game in a pub wondering who is playing.
BVB (Ballspiel-Verein Borussia) is by far not the only club with an acronym to its name. There are the likes with official acronyms: VfB (Verein für Bewegungsspiele) Stuttgart, Hertha BSC (Berliner Sport-Club), and VfL (Verein für Leibesübungen) Wolfsburg. Some clubs use shorthands like S04 (Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e.V.), HSV (Hamburger Sport-Verein), and H96 (Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896). Just be glad that the Munich suburban club SpVgg (Spiel Vereinigung) Unterhaching has not returned to the Bundesliga since 2001 but beware of SpVgg Greuter Fürth on track to promotion next season.
A recognizable acronym or shorthand can be a marketing tool. When promoted to the Bundesliga in 2008 TSG (Turn und Sport Gemeinschaft) 1899 Hoffenheim decided to drop TSG in favour of 1899 to align themselves with a traditional club like TSV (Turn und Sport Verein) 1860 München that is commonly called 1860. Don’t confuse 1860’s city rivals Bayern München with the Bayer company “Werkself “, for which B04 (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen) is the preferred shorthand; also because Bayern likes to threaten the city of Munich once in a while that they will drop the city designation from the club name. No one will ever match 1. FC Nürnberg referred to simply as “Der Club”.
Finally there is RB Leipzig, one of the sporting ventures of the Red Bull empire, currently in the 4th division. As clubs in Germany can not carry a company’s full name and their membership has to retain at least a 51% share in the club’s ownership (other than clubs founded by companies like B04 more than 20 years before) Rasen Ballsport Leipzig e.V. (eingetragener Verein) is aiming for Bundesliga glory. At least, Leipzig may have top flight football return to their city one day; VfB Leipzig a.k.a. 1.FC Lokomotive Leipzig won’t add to their pre-Bundesliga and East German league honours anytime soon. Personally, I’d rather not see a RBL Champions League game.
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