Why we love the 2. Bundesliga, and you should too

While the dust has barely settled after a summer of international tournaments, many top European leagues, including the 2024/2025 Bundesliga season, are gearing up for their return. One league that has already begun that you should be all over is the 2. Bundesliga, German soccer’s second tier.

While much of the focus in German footballing circles will be on whether Bayer Leverkusen can repeat their incredible feats of last season or whether Harry Kane can break his trophy duck, the 2. Bundesliga will be throwing up incredible matchups every week.

Surplus of storied clubs in the 2. Bundesliga

There have been several huge clubs who have dropped out of the German top flight in recent years and, while many have returned to the top tier, there are others who have not found the going so easy.

Hamburg was relegated in 2018 having been ever-present in the top tier since its current inception in 1963 and, while many assumed it would merely be a fleeting stay, they have found themselves rooted in the 2. Bundesliga ever since. They have had near-misses pretty much every year, never finishing lower than fourth and losing the promotion/relegation playoff final in both 2022 and 2023. This has led many to believe that HSV are cursed, consigned to an eternity looking up at the league they have won three times.

To make matters worse for Hamburg fans, their bitter city rivals St. Pauli will be playing in the top tier for the first time this season, having won the 2. Bundesliga last season. In doing so, they replaced FC Koln who were relegated for the sixth time in the 21st Century. The club who won the first-ever Bundesliga season in 1963/64 hosted Hamburg on week one last Friday night and were beaten 2-1 to dispel any notion that they would simply stroll to promotion.

More fallen greats

While Union Berlin made their Champions League debut last season, their city rivals from the capital Hertha BSC are beginning their second season in a row in the 2. Bundesliga. They finished smack bang in mid-table last season coming ninth in a consolidation campaign following their slide down the trap door in 2023. Union narrowly survived relegation last season with many perhaps looking forward to a return of the Berliner Derby but Hertha will hope that they can restore it by returning to the promised land this season.

Schalke 04 was taking on Manchester United in the Champions League semi-finals as recently as 2011 but the famous old club from Gelsenkirchen was on the verge of relegation to the third tier, if not the regional leagues last season. Schalke was relegated in 2021 and, despite returning immediately as champions, was sent down again in 2023 and finished tenth last year. However, at one point, back-to-back relegations were a distinct possibility which, due to financial rules, could have seen them banished to the amateur Regionallia West. A late-season turnaround saw them pull away from such problems and they will be looking upwards this season.

With other sleeping giants of German football such as Fortuna Dusseldorf, Hannover 96, and Nurnberg battling with up-and-comers like Ulm, Preussen Munster, and Elversberg, the 2. Bundesliga should be high up on your watch list this season.

You can catch select games live in the US on ESPN+ with a full channel listing here while highlights are readily available on YouTube.

Photo: IMAGO / Brauer-Fotoagentur.