Arminia Bielefeld

DSC Arminia Bielefeld (pronounced [ˌdeːʔɛsˈtseː ʔaʁˈmiːni̯a ˈbiːləfɛlt]; full name: Deutscher Sportclub Arminia Bielefeld e.V. [ˈdɔʏtʃɐ ˈʃpɔʁtklʊp ʔaʁˈmiːni̯a ˈbiːləfɛlt]; commonly known as Arminia Bielefeld (German pronunciation: [aʁˌmiːnia ˈbiːləfɛlt] ^ⓘ), also known as Die Arminen [diː ˈʔaʁmiːnən] or Die Blauen [diː ˈblaʊən]), or just Arminia (pronounced [aʁˌmiːnia] ^ⓘ), is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia is most well known as a professional football club, having participated in the first tier of German Football, the Bundesliga, for a total of 19 seasons. In addition to football, the club offers field hockey, figure skating, and cue sports departments. The club has over 15,000 members and the club colours are black, white and blue. Arminia's name derives from the Cheruscan chieftain Arminius, who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

The club currently participates in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German Football, after being promoted from the 3. Liga in the 2024-25 season. Arminia has earned a reputation as a Yo-yo club, or Fahrstuhlmannschaft in German, for its regular promotions and relegations. The club tied the record for most promotions to the Bundesliga in 2020 with their eighth promotion, a record they hold jointly with 1. FC Nürnberg. In the 2010s, the club primarily participated in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier, with two relegations into the third tier. Notable successful periods for the club include the 1980s and 2000s; two separate eras when the club played for five consecutive years in the Bundesliga. In addition, the 1920s were successful for the club, during which two West German Championships were won in 1922 and 1923. Unsuccessful eras for the club include the 1950s and early 1990s, wherein the club participated in the regional third tier of German football for eight and seven consecutive seasons, respectively. In 2025, the team reached the final of the DFB-Pokal for the first time after defeating previous champion Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1, the first third divison club to do since 2001, and the first such team to knock out four higher ranked Bundesliga teams in one season, with American captain Mael Corboz in particular getting international attention.

Arminia has played their home games at the Bielefelder Alm Stadium since 1926. The stadium has been entirely rebuilt since the club first played there, with the last major renovations being completed in 2008. The stadiums current capacity of 27,332 consists of space for 7,940 in terracing and 19,392 seats. Since 2004, the stadium has been named SchücoArena through a sponsorship deal.

Arminia's supporters primarily originate from the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region, itself comprised of two distinct cultural regions: eastern Westphalia and Lippe. The club had 241 active Supporters' groups in 2020. The first organized supporters group formed in 1974 and was influenced by similar groups in English football. These groups congregate in Bielefelder Alm's south stand during matches. Arminia's longest-standing and fiercest rivalry is with SC Preußen Münster, a club from western Westphalia.