Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund is one of the most successful soccer clubs in Germany. The club has won the German soccer championship five times and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) four times. Dortmund also reached the final of the European Champions League in 2013. Dortmund was founded in 1909 by a group of young men who were unhappy with the Catholic church-sponsored soccer club in their town. The new club was named after the local Borussia brewery. Dortmund quickly became one of the best soccer teams in the country. In 1963, Dortmund won its first German championship. The following year, the club reached the final of the European Champions Cup (now called the Champions League), but lost to English club Liverpool. Dortmund had another golden period in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The team won the German championship three times in a row from 1995 to 1997, and again from 2002 to 2004. In 1997, Dortmund also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup). The club's most recent success came in 2012 and 2013, when Dortmund won back-to-back Bundesliga titles. In 2013, the team also reached the final of the Champions League, but lost to Bayern Munich. Dortmund is one of the most popular soccer clubs in Germany. The club has a large and loyal fan base, which is sometimes referred to as the "twelfth man" because of the way they help support the team. Dortmund's home stadium is called the Westfalenstadion. It is one of the largest soccer stadiums in Europe, with a capacity of over 80,000. Dortmund also has a strong rivalry with another German soccer club, Schalke 04. The match between Dortmund and Schalke is known as the "Revierderby" and is one of the most hotly-contested soccer rivalries in Germany.