When and why does the Bundesliga have its winter break and how long does it last?
Every season the Bundesliga takes a break in the middle of winter – rather obviously called the winter break – where the league shuts up shop for several weeks and fans long for the return of their weekly Bundesliga fix.
There are, however, good reasons for what the Germans call Die Winterpause. It allows players and staff a chance to recharge their batteries before getting back to the daily grind of winning games.
Perhaps in a more practical sense, though, it also comes down to the simple fact of the weather. With average January temperatures below freezing across Germany, it makes sense to take a breather when snowballs are easier to kick than footballs, and to stage games might require ice skates rather than studs, not just for the players — undersoil heating in Germany's stadia usually helps them out with that — but for fans hoping to see their heroes in action.
Watch: It's snow joke! Cologne and Freiburg scored seven in a snowstorm in 2017/18
When is the winter break?
In 2023/24 the break arrives after Matchday 16, but traditionally it comes at the midpoint of the season once 17 rounds of games have been played . This provides an easy demarcation between what’s known as the Hinrunde and the Rückrunde – better explained in English as the first and second half of the season.
The Bundesliga has at times in the past taken up to six weeks off and not returned until February. More recently, it’s been about four weeks - sometimes less when the league needs to start late or finish early because of an international tournament - such as the World Cup in Qatar in November 2022.
Essentially, the Bundesliga plays as close up to Christmas as possible before putting its feet up for a number of weeks.
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What do the teams do?
Usually, Winterpause rhymes with 'sun, sand and sweat' in post-Christmas training camps dotted around southern Europe, beginning in early January.
Borussia Dortmund, for example, tend to head to Marbella for their winter camp, while Bayern Munich have spent recent Januarys in Qatar. Many teams, though, opt to brave the German winter and avoid the hassle of travelling by simply training at home. Club facilities now are so advanced that it takes the heaviest snowfall to prevent them operating as normal.
What's it like in other countries?
The Bundesliga stars are not alone in getting the chance to put their feet up for a few days over the festive period.
France, Spain and Italy all have brief sojourns at various times, normally lasting a couple of weeks as those leagues have more teams and therefore more matchdays to squeeze in. Leagues in eastern Europe have much longer winter breaks, sometimes up to three months.
At the other end of the scale, the English Premier League has never had a winter break. However, they recently introduced a one-week mid-season hiatus in February.
Watch: The best of the Bundesliga transfer market during the 2022/23 winter break
So, when is the 2023/24 Bundesliga back?
The Bundesliga resumes on Friday 12 January 2024 with a mouth-watering fixture between Bayern and Hoffenheim.
Six games are scheduled for Saturday 13 January, with a further two on Sunday 14 January completing the Matchday 17 line-up.
How can you watch the Bundesliga?
Viewers around the world will be eager for the Bundesliga to return to their television screens this month. Wherever you are, there are plenty of ways to tune in to the action.
ESPN+ broadcast games in the USA, while Sky Sports have the rights in the United Kingdom. For a full list of TV and digital broadcasters in your region, click here.
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