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Strange Bundesliga Stars Rule Explained - Here is Why Bayern München Does Not Have 5 Stars

Many people have asked us about the star rule for the jerseys in the Bundesliga as there are some odd cases. In example, FC Bayern München's kit features 4 stars (27 German Bundesliga tittles), while Borussia Dortmund got two stars on their jerseys for just 5 German Bundesliga titles. Let us get into the details of stars rule in the German Bundesliga.

Not Defined Yet - There Is No Change For Bayern München's to Get a Fifth Star Currently

Some years ago, Bundesliga introduced a rule for the golden stars appearing on the shirts of the German clubs: the stars above the club crest are a symbol for the number of the clinched championship titles since the inauguration of the Bundesliga in 1963. In fact, this rule is in application by the DFL (German Football League) since 2004-05.

Dortmund 2011-12 kit - their last with just one star (they won their 5th Bundesliga title in 2012

The attribution is not linear but follows rather a irregular gradation - German titles won between 1903 and 1963 do not count (e.g Bayern’s triumph in 1932), nor the titles obtained by the former East-Germany clubs, e.g. Dynamo Berlin and Dynamo Dresden.

German Bundesliga Stars Rule

  • 1 star for 3 titles won (Hamburg, VfB Stuttgart, Bremen)
  • 2 stars for 5 titles won (Mönchengladbach and Dortmund)
  • 3 stars for 10 titles won (no clubs)
  • 4 stars for 20 titles won (FC Bayern)

With Bayern München's dominance in the German Bundesliga, it seems well possible that the club will win their 30th Bundesliga title in the near future (at the earliest in 2021). We expect that the German Bundesliga will then introduce a rule that allows the club to get their fifth star.

What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below.