Borussia Dortmund
German professional sports club from Dortmund, internationally known for its men's football team, black-and-yellow identity, and exceptionally strong supporter culture.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
Borussia Dortmund, formally Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, is a German professional sports club headquartered in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its most prominent division is the men's football team, which competes in the Bundesliga, Germany's top professional league. The club is commonly called BVB or Dortmund and is nicknamed Die Schwarzgelben, meaning “the Black and Yellows,” after its traditional colours. The club was established on 19 December 1909 by eighteen young football players who broke away from a Catholic parish-sponsored youth group. The name Borussia was associated with a local Dortmund brewery, while the club's modern black-and-yellow colours were adopted in 1913. After modest early decades, Dortmund became a major force in German football during the post-war period. It won national championships in 1956 and 1957, then claimed the final German championship before the Bundesliga began in 1963. Dortmund was among the original sixteen clubs admitted to the new Bundesliga and soon became the first German club to win a major European trophy, taking the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup after defeating Liverpool in extra time. The 1970s and 1980s were difficult. Financial problems, relegation from the Bundesliga in 1972, and uneven sporting results challenged the club, although the opening of the Westfalenstadion in 1974 created a lasting home for its rapidly growing support. Dortmund returned to the Bundesliga in 1976 and won the DFB-Pokal in 1989. The club's modern golden age began in the 1990s under coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. It won consecutive Bundesliga titles in 1995 and 1996, followed by the 1997 UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup. The Champions League victory over Juventus established Dortmund as one of Europe's leading clubs. Dortmund became Germany's first publicly traded football club in 2000. Expansion and financial decisions later left it carrying substantial debt, and by the middle of the decade the club faced a severe liquidity crisis. Hans-Joachim Watzke's executive leadership, cost controls, restructuring, and renewed sporting focus helped stabilize the organization. Jürgen Klopp's appointment as head coach in 2008 marked another decisive turning point. His young, energetic side won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, completed the club's first domestic double in 2012, and reached the 2013 Champions League final. The club has remained a leading German team while emphasizing academy development, recruitment of young talent, and an intense match-day atmosphere. Its home ground, Westfalenstadion—commercially known as Signal Iduna Park—is Germany's largest football stadium. The South Stand's standing terrace, commonly called the Yellow Wall, is one of the most recognizable supporter sections in world football. Dortmund also operates other sporting activities, including a women's handball team. Its principal rivalries are the Revierderby against Schalke 04 and the national-level rivalry with Bayern Munich often known as Der Klassiker. Dortmund is a member-owned association with a publicly traded corporate structure connected to its professional football operations.
History
Borussia Dortmund was founded on 19 December 1909 by eighteen young footballers in Dortmund who wanted to form a club independent of the local parish organization. The name Borussia referred to Prussia and also to a Dortmund brewery. The club initially played in blue and white with a red sash, adopting black and yellow in 1913. Early progress was limited. An unsuccessful attempt to strengthen the side with paid players contributed to a serious financial crisis in 1929. During the Nazi period, German sport was reorganized by the regime; Dortmund's leadership was affected when its president refused to join the Nazi Party, and club members involved in anti-Nazi activity were executed near the end of the war. The club was dissolved by Allied authorities after the war, briefly reorganized with other local organizations, and ultimately continued as Ballspielverein Borussia 09 Dortmund. Dortmund became a prominent member of the Oberliga West after 1946. It lost the 1949 national final but won German championships in 1956 and 1957. In 1963 it won the last national championship before the Bundesliga was introduced. Dortmund was then selected as one of the Bundesliga's founding clubs. It won the 1965 DFB-Pokal and the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating Liverpool in extra time. The 1970s brought relegation and financial strain, although the club opened the Westfalenstadion in 1974 and returned to the Bundesliga in 1976. After further instability in the 1980s, Dortmund won the DFB-Pokal in 1989. The appointment of Ottmar Hitzfeld in 1991 led to a sustained revival. Dortmund won Bundesliga titles in 1995 and 1996, the 1997 Champions League, and the 1997 Intercontinental Cup. The 1990s success made the club an established European power. Dortmund went public in 2000, but subsequent financial difficulties and sporting decline placed its future under pressure. Debt restructuring, wage reductions, asset transactions, and new executive management helped avert insolvency. Jürgen Klopp became coach in 2008 and built a young, high-intensity team around recruitment and development. Dortmund won the Bundesliga in 2011 and 2012, added the 2012 DFB-Pokal for its first domestic double, and reached the 2013 Champions League final. In the following years Dortmund continued to compete near the top of German football while regularly developing or transferring young players. The club's identity remains closely connected to its membership base, its black-and-yellow colours, the Revierderby with Schalke 04, the rivalry with Bayern Munich, and the enormous atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund has won eight German league championships, five DFB-Pokals, six DFL-Supercups, the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup, the 1997 Champions League, and the 1997 Intercontinental Cup.
- 2013
Champions League final appearance
[1]Dortmund reaches the final at Wembley in an all-German match against Bayern Munich.
- 2012
Domestic double
[1]Dortmund retains the Bundesliga and wins the DFB-Pokal for the first domestic double in club history.
- 2011
Bundesliga title under Klopp
[1]A young Dortmund side wins the club's first league title since 2002.
- 2000
Public listing
[1]Borussia Dortmund becomes the first German football club to be publicly traded.
- 1997
Champions League and Intercontinental Cup titles
[1]Dortmund defeats Juventus in the Champions League final and Cruzeiro in the Intercontinental Cup.
- 1974
Westfalenstadion opens
[1]The club moves into the stadium that later becomes Signal Iduna Park.
- 1966
European Cup Winners' Cup victory
[1]Dortmund defeats Liverpool in extra time to win a major European trophy.
- 1963
Final pre-Bundesliga championship
[1]Dortmund wins the last German championship before the Bundesliga begins.
- 1956
First national championship
[1]Dortmund wins its first German championship by defeating Karlsruher SC.
- 1909
Club founded
[1]Eighteen football players establish Borussia Dortmund on 19 December.
Products and positioning
A globally recognized, member-oriented German football club combining elite competition, youth development, distinctive black-and-yellow branding, and one of football's strongest supporter cultures.
Professional football · 1909
Men's football team
Borussia Dortmund's principal sporting operation competes in the Bundesliga and German cup competitions and regularly participates in UEFA tournaments. The team is the core of the club's global media, sponsorship, ticketing, and merchandise presence.
Player development
BVB youth academy
The club's development system identifies and trains young footballers, supporting Dortmund's long-standing reputation for giving emerging players opportunities in professional football and integrating academy talent with recruitment from abroad.
Team sport
Women's handball
Borussia Dortmund also operates a women's handball team, extending the club beyond men's football while retaining the BVB identity and supporter base.
Retail and licensing
Official merchandise and licensing
The club commercializes its black-and-yellow identity through replica shirts, training apparel, accessories, collectibles, and licensed products distributed through official and partner channels.
Brand decisions
2011
Youth-oriented sporting modelGeneration changeBackground
Under executive and sporting leadership associated with Hans-Joachim Watzke and Michael Zorc, Dortmund emphasized talent identification and development.
Action taken
The club continued to build competitive squads around young players and an academy pathway.
Aftermath
This approach supported league titles in 2011 and 2012 and strengthened Dortmund's reputation as a developer of elite talent.
2008
Appointment of Jürgen KloppStrategyBackground
Dortmund had endured inconsistent results and needed a sporting reset after several difficult seasons.
Action taken
The club appointed Jürgen Klopp as head coach.
Aftermath
Klopp built a young, high-energy side that won consecutive Bundesliga titles and the 2012 domestic double, then reached the 2013 Champions League final.
2006
Stadium naming-rights agreementStrategyBackground
The club was managing substantial financial pressure and sought additional commercial income connected to its home stadium.
Action taken
Westfalenstadion was commercially renamed Signal Iduna Park under a naming-rights agreement.
Aftermath
The commercial name became part of the stadium's operating identity, while supporters continued to use the traditional name as well.
Sources2 sources
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