The best places to watch football in Berlin: Groundhopping with Damiano Benzoni
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
Berlin, if compared to other European capitals, isn’t renowned for the success of its football clubs. The troubled history of the city and its constant instability mean that most clubs in the Hauptstadt have a rollercoaster of a history and, alas, no continued success. But don’t let that fool you into giving a pass on Berlin football! What it lacks in silverware, it more than makes up for in sheer character and incredible stories, making it a haven for the groundhopper or football tourist. So, what are the best places to watch a football match in Berlin?
My name is Damiano Benzoni and I’m an Italian football journalist and photographer who thoroughly enjoys exploring Berlin’s football and its stories. Each weekend it’s easy to find me at any game - Bundesliga to the depths of the Kreisliga - with my camera in my hand. You can find my stuff on Twitter/X and Instagram under the handle @dinamobabel or visit my portfolio at www.damianobenzoni.com
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
How Berlin’s football is organised
Well, first of all let’s start from a bit of ground information. The German football pyramid in Berlin consists of 11 divisions and, according to the Berliner Fussball-Verband, the city’s own football federation, it can account for almost 400 clubs and more than 3500 teams in all categories. The most famous are of course Union Berlin, currently in the Bundesliga (first division), and Hertha, who were recently relegated to the 2. Bundesliga (second division). While there are currently no Berlin clubs in the 3. Liga, the fun starts from the fourth and fifth division (Regionalliga Nord-Ost and Oberliga), from which most of our picks will come as it hits a sweet spot between a good match atmosphere and an affordable and exciting setting.
You can find a lot of flavour also in the lower leagues, starting from the Berlin-Liga in the sixth division. Each team has a distinct history and represent a bit of what Berlin is: from the many immigrant teams (Türkiyemspor, Croatia Berlin, Club Italia and the Albanians of Liria, just to name a few) to authentic historic institutions who still ply their trade as neighbourhood football clubs, like BFC Germania 1888 - the oldest still existing football club in Germany, who currently play in the tenth division. And don’t forget women’s football: while there is no team in the top two divisions (if we don’t count nearby Turbine Potsdam), the scene is very much alive and the third division has five Berlin teams: Hertha, Union, Türkiyemspor, Viktoria and Berolina Mitte.
I have picked five(ish) clubs for you to check out if you want to groundhop in the Hauptstadt or are looking for a game during your stay in Berlin. The list will of course be incomplete, as there are so many options to check out, but here’s an extra tip: check out if the Berliner Landespokal is on when you are visiting Berlin. It’s the amateur Berlin State Cup, whose winner can take part in the first round of the DFB Pokal (the Cup of Germany). It’s one of my personal favourite tournaments, you can find very amateur teams facing off against semi-pros and maybe treat yourself with an upset, who knows?
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
Union and Hertha
The obvious choices
I was not sure whether I should include the two big boys of the capital in this list, but both clubs have a great atmosphere so I’ve grouped them together here. Nothing stops you from coupling a professional game with some grassroots football on another moment of the weekend!
Hertha has traditionally been “the” Berlin team, as it can boast the most Bundesliga seasons among all of the Capital clubs. A traditional club founded in 1892, “Die Alte Dame” (the Old Lady) isn’t exactly known for its silverware, as its last German title dates back to 1931. And just last year they suffered a heart-breaking 94th minute relegation to the 2. Bundesliga, Germany’s second division.
The Olympiastadion surely deserves a visit: a monumental and historic stadium built for the infamous 1936 Olympics (yes, THOSE Olympic Games), it surely is the most physically impressive (oppressive?) stadium in Berlin. It hosted the final of the 2006 World Cup and it will be the host to the 2024 Euros final, plus three group matches, one in the round of 16 and a quarter final. Its sheer dimensions and the presence of a running track do dampen the atmosphere a bit: even though Hertha have a very good following (they average 46 thousand supporters for home games), they seldom ever sell-out the 72 thousand arena. It’s a good idea not to be too far from the passionate Ostkurve support, for example in the Oberring, in order to make the most of the atmosphere.
While the Olympiastadion lies on the western side of town, Union’s legendary Alte Försterei is tucked in the far east of the city, in the Köpenick neighbourhood. The ambience is certainly not an issue, as this unique stadium, boasting a capacity of 22 thousand, is almost always sold out, with the majority of fans standing rather than sitting, and a distinct pressure-cooker atmosphere thanks to the never-ending chanting.
Union’s rise to the Bundesliga and European football has been nothing short of a miracle, as the former East Berlin ugly ducklings steadily rose from the fourth division while maintaining a strong anti-commercialisation stance and promoting their own brand of football. Just think that the stadium was renovated with 140 thousand hours of volunteer work by the supporters!
A visit to the Alte Försterei is surely worth its while, with its walk through the forest or a stop at one of the supporters’ pubs like Abseitsfalle or Tanke. How to get a ticket to Union? Well, that is the big issue: the stadium is always sold out to its club members, who even have to go through a lottery to secure tickets. Your best bet, in case you don’t have a Unioner friend who’s willing to spare his ticket for you, is looking out for summer or winter time friendlies.
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
Tasmania Berlin
The beautiful losers
Ok, we covered the basics for the two big boys of Berlin football, now let’s get into the nitty and gritty. If you want to quench the thirst of the football nerd in you, may we suggest a detour to the neighbourhood of Neukölln to watch the worst Bundesliga club ever? We’re speaking of Tasmania Berlin, who played a single Bundesliga season in the mid-Sixties and still carry most negative records of the Germany’s top flight, the most known of those being the longest winless stint, 31 matches without hurrays.
The story of their top flight season is pure Berlin drama: as West Berlin was segregated from the rest of West Germany and completely surrounded by the GDR, it was decided that the Bundesliga should always feature a club from the city. When Hertha was punished for financial misconduct and two other Berlin teams refused the offer to play in the top division, Tasmania got its lucky ticket for promotion. They went on to score only 15 goals and concede 108 and, after they filled the Olympiastadion with 81 thousand supporters for their debut game (which, incredibly, they won!), they registered the smallest ever crowd in the Bundesliga, with only 827 supporters showing up to a January game as the losses piled up and enthusiasm waned.
Nowadays Tasmania, resurrected after going bust in the Seventies, currently play in the fifth division (Oberliga) and are back to their neighbourhood, at the Werner-Seelenbinder-Stadion just at the fringes of the Tempelhofer Feld, easily reachable from the Hermannstraße U-Bahn station. In my experience I always loved their support, with witty and ironic chants and stickers and a tiny plush Tasmanian devil as a mascot. The red, white and blue of the club are clearly visible in the seats and the TAS Casino, the clubhouse, is worth a visit and a beer. Plus, the Pfand glasses make for a cool souvenir.
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
Lichtenberg 47
The uneasy neighbours
Want to couple a visit to the Stasi Museum with a football match? Look no further than the beautiful HOWOGE - Hans Zoschke Arena, home of Lichtenberg 47. The Lichtenbergers are currently playing in the Oberliga, but are looking to be promoted back to the Regionalliga Nordost, the fourth division. Their support is noisy and colourful, with drums and banners and sizable crowds for a fifth division team, and a match there is guaranteed to be a good day out, with one of the best stadium Boulette you can savour in Berlin. Not to mention the stadium is a little jewel with a very particular history.
The stadium, which can be reached easily from the U5 Magdalenenstraße station, lies just on the other side of the road from the humongous Stasi headquarters in Lichtenberg. And the shadow of the sinister Ministry of State Security loomed on the Hans Zoschke Arena. On one side, the presence of such a public spot so close to the Stasi HQ felt somewhat uneasy for Mielke and his organisation. And on the other hand, when the Ministry wanted to expand its premises in 1972, the stadium would need razing to the ground.
That was the project, at least. But the lack of a viable venue where Lichtenberg 47 could play kept the stadium alive. And, according to the legend, also its name, as Hans Zoschke had been an anti-Nazi resistance member who was killed in prison in 1944 and a hero for the GDR regime. Apparently his widow campaigned with some committees of former antifascist fighters, in order for the stadium dedicated to her husband to keep standing in the heart of Lichtenberg, although the Stasi archives speak of more trivial urban planning reasons.
The stadium can hold almost 10 thousand people - although it usually handles way smaller crowds - with 900 sitting places, and it is a special treat under floodlights on a Friday night. It’s got a lovely old-style scoreboard, a wall of thanks to everyone who contributed to keeping the club financially afloat during the pandemic and a statue at its entrance, dedicated to club legend Tim Schreckenbach. Oh, by the way, this year the Hans Zoschke will also be the venue of the Berlin State Cup final on May 25th, 2024!
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
BFC Dynamo
The controversial take
Speaking of Stasi, we cannot ignore BFC Dynamo, which is the third club in Berlin in terms of home crowds. I know what you’re thinking, though: it’s a very hard club to like, for its history and ties with the GDR regime but most of all for the extreme right sympathies of its support.
BFC Dynamo was the infamous club of the Ministry of State Security, and enjoyed the continued support of the Stasi to win ten back-to-back controversial East German titles, making it the most titled club in Berlin, as well as the most contested. The hooligan wave in the Eighties and the political discontent of East German society after the reunifications meant most football fan bases, Dynamo included, shifted towards the far right.
Still it would be wrong to label all Dynamo supporters and a visit to the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen (you can take the M5 or M6 tram from the Landsberger Allee S-Bahn station and get off at Sandinostraße) is of course interesting if you want to understand better what Dynamo was and is. In my personal experience, while the atmosphere is noticeably more tense and intimidating than any other football venue in Berlin, I have never witnessed any far right chanting or gestures.
A Dynamo match is one of those experiences that can make you still feel the differences between East Berlin and the rest of the capital, as the Hohenschönhausen neighbourhood didn’t have the same influx of expats as other districts like Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg. While Union and Hertha are fighting for hegemony on the most central districts, here the colour is Rotwein (wine red) and you will hear chants of “Ost! Ost! Ost Berlin!” during your visit. Also keep your eye out for the hand-turned scoreboard in the guest sector and for the abandoned and derelict Sporthotel Hohenschönhausen just nearby.
Mind you, it’s not an experience for any groundhopper, and more than anywhere else it’s a good idea not to look too much like a tourist there. But if a more edgy atmosphere is your cup of tea, then you might enjoy it.
Photo © Damiano Benzoni
Tennis Borussia Berlin
The inclusive one
Ok, let’s balance it all out: my favourite thing about the Mommsenstadion, home of Tennis Borussia, is the club’s motto at the entrance: “Come as you are”. Tennis Borussia, or TeBe, as the fans call it,, has a very long history. The club was established in 1902 and were Hertha’s main rival in West Berlin times, and played two years in the Bundesliga in the mid-Seventies. Its president between the Sixties and Seventies was showman and film director Hans Rosenthal, a Jewish Berliner who had to work in forced labour during the Nazi regime and spent two years in hiding until the end of the war. And Tennis Borussia holds left-wing and inclusive values, taking clear stances against racism, sexism and homophobia. Hence, the motto.
Their distinct lilac shirts can usually be seen in action at the Mommsenstadion in Charlottenburg (S-Bahn Messe Süd - Eichkamp station), a venue that usually hosts the final of the Berlin State Cup and that was grounded in 1930, hosting some football matches of the 1936 Olympics and being used as a training ground for the 2006 World Cup.
This year, with the Euros to be played in Germany, the Mommsenstadion will once more be used as a training ground for national teams hosted in Berlin. Unfortunately this will mean that the ground will undergo some refurbishment, so TeBe won’t be playing there until next season kicks off in August 2024. Until then they will play at the secondary ground of the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark in Prenzlauer Berg: an iconic sport centre, immediately recognisable for its unique floodlights and sitting right next to Mauerpark.
The team now plays in the Oberliga after relegation from the Regionalliga, and its supporters are always very vocal and very well organised. Expect choreos, the odd pyro for important games and a lot of chanting, not only in German, as they have songs in English and even one in Italian (“Allerta Antifascista”). All in a very familiar atmosphere: what’s not to like about that?
