The 2015–16 Bundesliga was the 53rd season of the Bundesliga, Germany's premier football competition. The season started on 14 August 2015, with 3-time defending champion Bayern Munich hosting Hamburger SV, and ended on 14 May 2016. Bayern Munich were the defending champions, after winning their 24th Bundesliga title and 25th German championship overall in the previous season.
Bayern Munich won the 2015–16 title in the second-last round on 7 May 2016, thereby becoming the first club in the history of the Bundesliga and the German football championship to win four consecutive championships.
Teams
A total of 18 teams were participating in this year's edition of the Bundesliga. Of these, 15 sides qualified directly from the 2014–15 season and the two sides were directly promoted from the 2014–15 2. Bundesliga season: FC Ingolstadt, the champions, and Darmstadt 98, the runners-up. The final participant was decided by a two-legged play-off, in which the 16th-placed Bundesliga club, Hamburger SV, defeated the third-place finisher in the 2. Bundesliga, Karlsruher SC.
Stadiums and locations Team Location Stadium Capacity Ref. Augsburg WWK ARENA 30,660 Bayer Leverkusen Leverkusen BayArena 30,210 Bayern Munich Munich Allianz Arena 75,000 Borussia Dortmund Dortmund Signal Iduna Park 81,359 Borussia Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach 54,010 Darmstadt 98 Darmstadt Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor 17,000 Eintracht Frankfurt Frankfurt Commerzbank-Arena 51,500 Hamburger SV Hamburg Volksparkstadion 57,000 Hannover 96 Hanover HDI-Arena 49,000 Hertha BSC Berlin Olympiastadion 74,475 Sinsheim Wirsol Rhein-Neckar-Arena 30,150 Ingolstadt Audi Sportpark 15,000 Cologne RheinEnergieSTADION 50,000 Mainz 05 Mainz Coface Arena 34,000 Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen Veltins-Arena 62,271 Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Arena 60,441 Werder Bremen Bremen Weserstadion 42,100 Wolfsburg Volkswagen Arena 30,000
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Ref. Nike WWK Bayer Leverkusen Adidas LG Electronics Bayern Munich Adidas Deutsche Telekom Borussia Dortmund Puma Evonik Borussia Mönchengladbach Kappa Postbank Darmstadt 98 Jako Software AG Eintracht Frankfurt Nike Alfa Romeo Hamburger SV Adidas Fly Emirates Hannover 96 Jako Heinz von Heiden Hertha BSC Nike bet-at-home.com Lotto SAP Adidas Media Markt Erima REWE Mainz 05 Lotto Kömmerling Schalke 04 Adidas Gazprom Puma Mercedes-Benz Bank Werder Bremen Nike Wiesenhof Kappa Volkswagen
Managerial changes Team Outgoing Exit date Position in table Incoming Incoming date Announced on Departed on Announced on Arrived on Borussia Dortmund Jürgen Klopp Resigned 15 April 201530 June 2015 Pre-season Thomas Tuchel 19 April 20151 July 2015 VfB Stuttgart Huub Stevens End of contract 24 May 2015 Alexander Zorniger 25 May 2015 Schalke 04 Roberto Di MatteoResigned26 May 2015 André Breitenreiter 12 June 2015 Eintracht Frankfurt Thomas Schaaf Armin Veh 14 June 2015 Borussia Mönchengladbach Lucien Favre20 September 2015 18th André Schubert21 September 2015 1899 Hoffenheim Markus Gisdol Sacked26 October 2015 17th Huub Stevens 26 October 2015 VfB Stuttgart Alexander Zorniger Sacked24 November 2015 16th Jürgen Kramny24 November 2015 Hannover 96 Michael FrontzeckResigned21 December 201517th Thomas Schaaf 28 December 2015 4 January 2016 1899 Hoffenheim Huub Stevens10 February 2016 Julian Nagelsmann11 February 2016 Eintracht Frankfurt Armin VehSacked6 March 2016 16th Niko Kovač8 March 2016 Hannover 96 Thomas Schaaf3 April 2016 18th Daniel Stendel3 April 2016
League table
Results
Relegation play-offs The team which finished 16th faced the third-placed 2015–16 2. Bundesliga side for a two-legged play-off. The winner on aggregate score after both matches will earn entry into the 2016–17 Bundesliga.
First leg
GK 1 Lukáš HrádeckýRB 22 Timothy ChandlerCB 19 David AbrahamCB 4 Marco Russ (c) LB 6 Bastian OczipkaCM 20 Makoto HasebeCM 8 Szabolcs HusztiRW 16 Stefan Aigner AM 14 Alexander Meier LW 11 Mijat Gaćinović CF 9 Haris SeferovicSubstitutes:GK 13 Heinz LindnerDF 2 Yanni RegäselDF 5 Carlos ZambranoMF 21 Marc Stendera MF 27 Aleksandar IgnjovskiMF 32 Änis Ben-Hatira FW 30 Luc Castaignos Manager: Niko Kovač GK 1 Raphael Schäfer RB 2 Mišo Brečko (c)CB 33 Georg MargreitterCB 4 Dave BulthuisLB 6 László SepsiRM 17 Sebastian Kerk CM 31 Ondřej PetrákCM 18 Hanno BehrensLM 23 Tim Leibold CF 24 Niclas Füllkrug CF 9 Guido BurgstallerSubstitutes:GK 22 Patrick RakovskyDF 3 Even Hovland DF 28 Lukas MühlMF 14 Kevin MöhwaldMF 19 Rúrik Gíslason FW 7 Danny Blum FW 36 Cedric TeuchertManager: René Weiler Assistant referees: Florian Heft (Neuenkirchen) Jan Seidel (Oberkrämer) Fourth official: Bibiana Steinhaus (Hanover)Match rules: 90 minutes. Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.
Second leg
GK 1 Raphael SchäferRB 2 Mišo Brečko (c) CB 33 Georg MargreitterCB 4 Dave BulthuisLB 6 László Sepsi RM 17 Sebastian Kerk CM 31 Ondřej Petrák CM 18 Hanno BehrensLM 23 Tim LeiboldCF 9 Guido Burgstaller CF 24 Niclas FüllkrugSubstitutes:GK 22 Patrick RakovskyDF 3 Even Hovland DF 28 Lukas MühlMF 14 Kevin MöhwaldMF 19 Rúrik Gíslason FW 7 Danny Blum FW 36 Cedric TeuchertManager: René Weiler GK 1 Lukáš Hrádecký RB 22 Timothy Chandler CB 5 Carlos Zambrano (c)CB 19 David Abraham LB 6 Bastian Oczipka CM 20 Makoto HasebeCM 8 Szabolcs HusztiRW 32 Änis Ben-Hatira AM 21 Marc Stendera LW 11 Mijat GaćinovićCF 9 Haris Seferovic Substitutes:GK 13 Heinz LindnerDF 2 Yanni RegäselMF 10 Marco Fabián MF 16 Stefan AignerMF 27 Aleksandar Ignjovski FW 14 Alexander Meier FW 30 Luc CastaignosManager: Niko Kovač
Assistant referees: Tobias Christ (Münchweiler an der Rodalb) Arne Aarnink (Nordhorn) Fourth official: Bastian Dankert (Rostock)Match rules: 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra time if tied on aggregate and away goals. Penalty shoot-out if no further goals are scored. Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.
Eintracht Frankfurt won 2–1 on aggregate.
Season statistics
Top goalscorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich 30 2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Borussia Dortmund 25 3 Thomas Müller Bayern Munich 20 4 Javier Hernández Bayer Leverkusen 17 5 Anthony Modeste 1. FC Köln 156 Salomon Kalou Hertha BSC14 Claudio Pizarro Werder Bremen Sandro Wagner Darmstadt 989 Daniel Didavi VfB Stuttgart13 Raffael Borussia Mönchengladbach
Hat-tricks
Player Club Against Result Date Alexander Meier Eintracht Frankfurt 1. FC Köln 6–2 Yunus Mallı Mainz 05 1899 Hoffenheim 3–1 Robert Lewandowski5 Bayern Munich VfL Wolfsburg 5–1 Max Kruse VfL Wolfsburg 1899 Hoffenheim 4–2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Borussia Dortmund FC Augsburg 5–1 Yoshinori Muto Mainz 05 FC Augsburg 3–3 Salomon Kalou Hertha BSC Hannover 96 3–1 Javier Hernández Bayer Leverkusen Borussia Mönchengladbach 5–0 Alexander Meier Eintracht Frankfurt VfL Wolfsburg 3–2 André Schürrle VfL Wolfsburg Hannover 96 4–0 Claudio Pizarro Werder Bremen Bayer Leverkusen 4–1 Koo Ja-cheol FC Augsburg Bayer Leverkusen 3–3 5 Player scored five goals
Awards
Player of the Month Month Player Team Ref. August Douglas CostaBayern Munich September Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich October Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Borussia Dortmund November Javier Hernández Bayer Leverkusen December Javier Hernández Bayer Leverkusen January Javier Hernández Bayer Leverkusen February Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich March André Schürrle VfL Wolfsburg April Henrikh Mkhitaryan Borussia Dortmund May Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich Individual Awards Team of the YearGoalkeeper Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)Defenders Łukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund) Jérôme Boateng (Bayern Munich) Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) David Alaba (Bayern Munich)Midfielders Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich) Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund) Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund)Forwards Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) Javier Hernández (Bayer Leverkusen)
Attendances
References
External links