Even if you do not have any knowledge of the German language, you are probably aware the term 'englische Woche' translates as 'English week'. bundesliga.com looks into how the term came about and what makes it rather special in Germany.

What does it mean?

While the origins of the term 'Englische Woche' are difficult to pin down, the meaning is clear. At some time since the advent of the Bundesliga in 1963, the practice of scheduling fixtures on a midweek evening was noted as such an English concept that the phrase caught on.

Midweek fixtures are significantly rarer in Germany, after all. The first season of the Bundesliga featured just 16 teams and therefore had 30 matchdays, meaning the whole season could easily be scheduled on weekend afternoons. That equation did not change drastically with the increase to 18 teams (and 34 matchdays) in 1965/66.

Erling Haaland had a lighter fixture schedule in his three seasons in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund than he has faced in England. - imago images/Bildbyran

The English top flight featured 22 teams at this time, however, and with two cup competitions also contested (compared to one in Germany, the DFB Cup), frequent matches on midweek evenings in England made the concept perceived as distinctly English in Germany.

That continues to this day, with the English Premier League having four more matchdays than the Bundesliga's 34, and the English second tier featuring 46 matchdays compared to 34 in Bundesliga 2. 

What is so special about an 'Englische Woche'?

They are quite simply a rare occurrence in Germany, and the experience of attending a match late in the evening on a weeknight is an unusual and therefore memorable one for Bundesliga fans - especially for clubs not featuring in a European competition with regular midweek fixtures.

If the lights are on and it's a weekday evening, you know you are in an Englische Woche! - IMAGO/nordphoto GmbH / Kokenge/IMAGO/Nordphoto

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When is an Englische Woche scheduled?

The long answer: Whenever the DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) deems it appropriate in the organisation's planning of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 fixture schedules.

The short answer: Not very often at all.

The 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 Bundesliga seasons were all scheduled with just one Englische Woche each, in December 2023, January 2025 and January 2026. The 2024/25 Bundesliga 2 season does not feature a single Englische Woche. Matches are played under the lights on occasions though, as both divisions schedule games on Friday and Saturday evenings in each matchday. 

So sit back enjoy one of German football's rarest occurences as the Bundesliga's stars come out this Tuesday and Wednesday night with intriguing ties such as Bayer Leverkusen vs. Mainz and VfB Stuttgart vs. RB Leipzig!