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Football in Germany
Football is by far the most popular sport in Germany. The Bundesliga, the top professional league, runs from August to May, with a winter break, and its matches are traditionally played on Saturday afternoons, a ritual many families and friends share in stadiums, pubs and living rooms. Berlin has two well-known professional clubs, Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union Berlin, with very different histories and fan cultures. Beyond the professionals, the German Football Association counts millions of members in tens of thousands of amateur clubs, and many more people play in informal hobby leagues, company teams and parks. For many Germans, a local club is also a social institution, with youth teams, volunteers and a clubhouse where the beer after the match matters as much as the result. Football language has deeply shaped everyday German. Expressions such as am Ball bleiben, ein Eigentor schießen, ins Abseits geraten and den Ball flach halten are used freely in offices and politics. Television commentary also has its own style, fast and fragmentary, and some commentators' phrases have become part of the language.