Why do Borussia Dortmund have two stars above the crest on their jersey?

Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Robert Lewandowski are among the big names who have worn the Borussia Dortmund jersey, which not only has had plenty of stars in it, but also two stars on it.

The Bundesliga team are one of many around the world - both at club and international level - which has embroidered its shirt with stars above the crest, a tradition which Juventus started in Europe in 1958 to commemorate their on-field achievements. The Turin giants celebrated their 10th Serie A title by sticking one star on their jersey, which has since prompted plenty of others to follow suit.

The criteria for how many stars are used varies from country to country, and the custom isn’t used at all in some, as is the case in England.

What do stars above the crest mean in Argentina, Italy and France?

The crest of Boca Juniors, for example, currently contains 52 stars inside it, even though the club, one of the most successful in South America, has won more than 52 trophies in its existence.

To refer back to Italy, Serie A clubs have continued Juve’s initial tradition. Having won 36 league titles, The Old Lady currently sport three stars above the crest, with a fourth to be added if and when they reach 40. This season, Inter Milan won their 20th title, which has earned them a second star for 2024/25. City rivals AC Milan, on 19 league victories, still have a single star.

Marseille, meanwhile, commemorated becoming the first French team to win the European Cup or Champions League in 1992/93 by putting a star above their crest. Will Paris Saint-Germain follow suit if they repeat the feat this season?

What star system is used in the Bundesliga?

Germany has its own - rather unusual - system, which Dortmund adhere to. Bundesliga clubs are awarded stars for reaching three, five, 10 and 20 titles since the creation of the Bundesliga in 1963.

To clarify, one is awarded to teams that have won three championships; two stars for those who have won five, three stars for those who have won 10, and four for those who have been champions more than 20 times.

As a result, Bayern Munich, who have won 32 German titles, have four stars above their crest, the maximum currently permitted. Three clubs have one - Werder Bremen (four titles), Hamburg (three titles) and Stuttgart (three titles).

How many Bundesliga titles have Borussia Dortmund won?

Dortmund are one of two teams to won five Bundesliga titles and have two stars, along with Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The 2023/24 Champions League semi-finalists won all of their domestic championships in the space of 17 years, with victories in 1994/95, 1995/96, 2001/02, 2010/11 and 2011/12, the last two of which came under Jürgen Klopp.

Dortmund also won three German Championships, the predecessor to the Bundesliga, in 1955-56, 1956-57 and 1962-63, but the German Soccer Federation does not count them in its official list of honours.

Bayern Munich (2001, 2013, 2020) and Borussia Dortmund (1997) are the only German teams to have won the Champions League since it was rebranded in 1992, although Hamburg (1983) did win the European Cup, a competition the Bavarians also won three times in the 1970s.