Borussia Dortmund were founded in 1909, by a group of young men. The youths were unhappy with the local chaplain due to his treatment of their church-sponsored football team. Borussia Dortmund started out as a small club with moderate ambitions. They had to avoid bankruptcy at the end of the 1920s and were not in favour of the Nazi regime, which affected their status. Borussia Dortmund's first trophy came in the mid-1950s. In 1956 and 1957, the club won two consecutive national titles.
Despite becoming one of Germany's biggest and best-supported clubs, Borussia Dortmund achieved most of its title success in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Before lifting the Bundesliga trophy in 1994-95, Borussia Dortmund had won just three titles, the last of which came in 1963.
Even DFB Pokal wins were few and far between until the end of the 20th century. Before winning the DFB Pokal in 1988-89, Borussia Dortmund had won it just once in 1964-65. Since claiming the trophy under Horst Koppel in 1989, Borussia Dortmund lifted the DFB Pokal thrice and appeared in four more cup finals.
Borussia Dortmund plays their home matches at the mammoth Signal Iduna Park. On Bundesliga matchdays, the stadium can accommodate more than 81,000 fans. The famed Yellow Wall allows for safe standing and is unlike anything else in world football.
Borussia Dortmund play two derby matches during the season. They compete in Der Klassiker against Bayern Munich and Der Revierderby versus local rival Schalke 04.
Bet on Borussia Dortmund
Leading sportsbooks offer a range of betting markets on Borussia Dortmund every matchday of the football season. The long football campaign allows bettors to wager on the German club in various ways. Before they kick off each tournament, bettors can wager on Borussia Dortmund as the outright winner of the Bundesliga, the Champions League, or the DFB Pokal competitions.
There is the opportunity to bet on one-off matches, players, correct scores, goals, and more. Special offers on big games in the league or European cup competitions are also available with major bookies. Of course, football bettors love to wager on Der Klassiker between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Bettors can select bets on Borussia Dortmund in the transfer market and which player(s) will arrive at the club each transfer window. Bettors can even wager who will be the next Borussia Dortmund manager if the club decides to change.
Borussia Dortmund Players
Borussia Dortmund's rich history is adorned with legends who have left an indelible mark on the club's legacy. Among them, the towering figure of Michael Zorc stands out, epitomizing loyalty and excellence. Zorc's midfield mastery and leadership guided Dortmund to numerous triumphs, cementing his status as a club icon. Another titan is the charismatic goal-scoring machine, Karl-Heinz Riedle, whose lethal finishing propelled Dortmund to European glory. Then there's the enigmatic Matthias Sammer, a defensive maestro whose intelligence and versatility revolutionized the sweeper role. These luminaries, among others, define Dortmund's greatest-ever players, their brilliance illuminating the club's illustrious past.
A more recent superstar who wore the yellow and black jersey was Erling Haaland. One of Europe's deadliest strikers, he scored 62 goals in 67 games during his time at the Westfalenstadion.
Borussia Dortmund Honours
German Championship/Bundesliga
Winners: 1956, 1957, 1963, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2011–12
Runners-up: 1949, 1961, 1965–66, 1991–92, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23
DFB-Pokal
Winners: 1964–65, 1988–89, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21
Runners-up: 1962–63, 2007–08, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
DFB/DFL-Supercup
Winners: 1989, 1995, 1996, 2013, 2014, 2019
Runners-up: 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021
UEFA Champions League
Winners: 1996–97
Runners-up: 2012–13
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
Winners: 1965–66
UEFA Cup
Runners-up: 1992–93, 2001–02
UEFA Super Cup
Runners-up: 1997
Intercontinental Cup
Winners: 1997
Borussia Dortmund All-Time Top Goalscorers
Manfred Burgsmuller – 158 goals
Michael Zorc – 158 goals
Lothar Emmerich – 148 goals
Timo Konietzka – 145 goals
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 141 goals
Marco Reus – 140 goals
Borussia Dortmund Legends
Some of Germany's best-ever players have worn the famous yellow shirt of Borussia Dortmund. Michael Zorc is one of the all-time great goal-scorers who played for the club. He tallied a club record 158 goals and played 463 games for the club. Zorc is now an executive at Borussia Dortmund.
Other club legends include Matthias Sammer, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Manfred Burgsmuller, and Jens Lehmann. Each player made a mark on the club, whether scoring goals or saving them.
Here are some of the best players to have played for Borussia Dortmund over the years:
Michael Zorc
Matthias Sammer
Karl-Heinz Riedle
Manfred Burgsmuller
Jens Lehmann
Roman Weidenfeller
Marco Reus
Jürgen Kohler
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Lukasz Piszczek
Dede
Mats Hummels
Borussia Dortmund Managers
Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jurgen Klopp are Borussia Dortmund's most famous coaches. The two coaches won silverware at Signal Iduna Park, leaving an indelible mark on the club's history. Hitzfeld led Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga and a Champions League trophy.
Unfortunately, Hitzfeld left for Bayern Munich after his time at Borussia Dortmund, leading them to silverware. Klopp won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The club also won the DFB Pokal in 2011-12 and reached the 2012-13 Champions League, where they fell to Bayern Munich. Since Klopp's departure, Borussia Dortmund have been searching for a league title, although they have won two DFB Pokal trophies.
