The Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's football league system. It was not formed until 1963 and the structure and organisation of the nation's football leagues have undergone frequent changes right up to the present day. The league was originally founded by theGerman Football Association, but is now operated by the Deutsche Fuball Liga.
The German football champion is decided strictly by play in the Bundesliga. Each club plays every other club once at home and once away. The club with the most points at the end of the season becomes the German champion. Currently, the top two clubs in the table qualify automatically for the group phase of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League.
In terms of team selection, matchday squads must have no more than five non-EU representatives. Seven substitutes are permitted to be selected, from which three can be used in the duration of the game.
