Der Klassiker: The Billions Behind the Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich Rivalry

As the two Bundesliga clubs prepare to take the pitch for the 134th time, Boardroom takes a closer look at the historic tale of the tape for one of European fútbol’s most iconic showdowns.

Nov. 5, 2023 marks the 134th all-time meeting between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, better known as Der Klassiker. It’s the biggest rivalry in the German Bundesliga and among the top feuds in all of European football, with both clubs ranking among the dozen most valuable in the world.

Winners of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, Bayern got even stronger over the summer with the €95 million transfer acquisition of English superstar Harry Kane from Tottenham. The 30-year-old goal scoring force will make his Klassiker debut Saturday at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park, as will Korean center-back Min-jae Kim, who arrived on a €50 million transfer from Napoli.

Bayern sold off more quality players than it brought in over the offseason, with center-backs Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard heading off to other Champions League clubs, 21-year-old midfielder Ryan Gravenbach now starring at Liverpool and Sadio Mané sold to Saudi side Al-Nassr.

Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Marcel Sabitzer will find himself on an unfamiliar side of the pitch, sold for €19 million to rival Dortmund. Sabitzer is among those tasked with replacing rising megastar Jude Bellingham, famously transferred over to Real Madrid for €103 million. Felix Nmecha, a 22-year-old midfielder, arrived on a €30 million transfer from Wolfsburg, while veteran forward Niclas Füllkrug joined from Werder Bremen.

The lineups may look different, but the ultimate goal of the intense matchup will remain the same.

The bitter rivals are separated by just two points in the Bundesliga standings, with both teams behind first place Bayer Leverkusen. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers behind Der Klassiker:

Der Klassiker 2023: Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich at a Glance

Borussia Dortmund	Club	Bayern Munich
1909	Founded	1900
Signal Iduna Park (81,365)	Stadium (Capacity)	Allianz Arena (75,000)
Supporters association	Owner	Supporters association
Edin Terzic	Manager	Thomas Tuchel
Emre Can	Captain	Manuel Neuer
5	Bundesliga titles	33
1	Champions League titles	6
32	All-time H2H wins	66
25	All-time H2H wins in Bundesliga	53

Financial Footprint

Transfer figures and estimated market values are via Transermarkt unless otherwise noted.

Borussia Dortmund		Bayern Munich
$1.93 billion (12th)	FORBES VALUATION (Global rank)	$4.86 billion (6th)
$1.61 billion (12th)	SPORTICO VALUATION (Global rank)	$4.46 billion (5th)
Ousmane Démbéle, €35 million	RECORD TRANSFER BUY	Harry Kane, €95 million
Ousmane Démbéle, €135 million	RECORD TRANSFER SALE	Lucas Hernandez, Robert Lewandowski, €45 million
€466.6 million	EST. ROSTER MARKET VALUE	€948.2 million
Julian Brandt, Nico Schlotterbeck, €40 million	EST. NO. 1 PLAYER MARKET VALUE	Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, €110 million