125 Years Loving the Game

Football shirts represent much more than just fan merchandise. They symbolize identity, culture, emotions, and solidarity, meaning fans wear them with pride. At the German Football Association (DFB), the bond between fans and the national team got lost in recent years, especially after they won the World Cup in 2014. In his keynote speech, Holger Blask, Chairman of the Management Board of DFB, provided insights into the DFB's strategy for achieving a change in sentiment 125 years after the association was founded.

These are his best GMPLN-quotes.

At the heart of the recovery strategy is the brand new DFB Campus. For Blask, it’s nothing less than “the new home of German football.” Envisioned not just as infrastructure but as a symbol of renewal. Originally planned at €150 million, the project eventually grew to €180 million. A sign of both its ambition and its complexity. As Blask describes it, “in a digital time, it's an analog meeting point for the entire sport.” The DFB Campus serves as a physical anchor for collaboration, innovation, and cultural reinvention.

For years, the German National Team was criticized by fans and media for being inaccessible. So the DFB decided to flip the script. The goal was to present the team in a more approachable way. And become more relatable to the fans in the process. The 2022 Prime Video Documentary “All or Nothing” was a first step in that direction. The show gave fans a rare, emotional behind-the-scenes view. That was followed by a bold campaign video tied to the centennial celebration. For Blask, it worked as a “dialogue forum” for difficult and controversial topics in football. 

Another increasingly prominent role in Blask's presentation of the DFB’s strategy is Women’s Football. Blask highlighted a sixteenfold increase in revenue for the Frauen-Bundesliga and growing visibility through global coverage, documentaries like Warner Brothers “Born for This” and new platforms such as DFB Play and Samsung’s Fast Channels. The long-term vision? A financially sustainable women’s football ecosystem. “We believe in women’s football,” Blask said, “and we’re building it to stand on its own.” 

DFB Campus, documentaries, collaborations with Roblox, Rocket League, One Football, partnerships with Google Pixel, TikTok, and Playmobil. Digital transformation was a central component of the DFB's new strategy and Blask's clear goal.