The German Football League (DFL) held its general meeting and decided to unify the names of all DFL institutions from DFL to Bundesliga.
On Tuesday local time, the DFL held its general meeting, with representatives of Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga clubs unanimously passing a resolution. From the 2026–27 season onwards, the names of the German Football League and its league organization will be aligned with the competition brand, changing from DFL e.V. and DFL GmbH to Bundesliga e.V. and Bundesliga GmbH.The names of all relevant committees and platforms will also be adjusted accordingly. The DFL Board of Directors and Supervisory Board have fully supported the renaming for the following reasons:
Commonality: The structural unity of German professional football will be further emphasized. Going forward, the unique Bundesliga brand, established in 1963, will serve as a unifying bond covering the league association, league organization, clubs and matches.
Unity: Uniform naming of the league association, league organization and competitions is common among major football leagues across Europe.
Recognition: Whether in sports policy discussions or global marketing, Bundesliga clearly communicates the source of information.
Distinctiveness: The name Bundesliga better clarifies the scope of responsibilities. The previous distinction between DFL and DFB (German Football Association) was unclear, and this renaming represents a significant improvement in this regard.
Organizational structure: Under the new organizational structure already approved by the DFL Group, the new DFL sales and digital subsidiary has been named Bundesliga Media. Against this backdrop, the full renaming of internal bodies was discussed in committee.
Under the resolution, the existing match logos for Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga will remain unchanged. As was the case between 2000 and 2017, the word and graphic brand of Bundesliga will once again serve as the core brand of the German Football League and its league organization.
