What to expect from the Audi Sportpark crowd?

Audi Sportpark is a venue in Ingolstadt

The atmosphere at the Audi Sportpark is a strange one – and the concept is unlike anything many countries have. The team was formed in 2004 with the merger of two other teams and is bankrolled by Audi. As such, the team has a slightly corporate feel, and a lack of tradition. This is reflected in the atmosphere at the ground, and more often than not, if you want a good atmosphere, it will have to be generated by the away team.

The club itself has a very young history in professional football. This is mainly the reason why the fan support is not as thriving as for other big and historical clubs. Nevertheless, the fan scene is super friendly and guest fans will always feel like being welcome in the rather small Bavarian city. Atmosphere could still be better, but fan support has definitely improved a lot over the last four years of professional football in Ingolstadt.

It's hard to call them nouveau riche - Ingolstadt is one of the most affluent towns in Germany and always has been. This is where the Illuminati was founded back in the 18th century and it wasn't a group of paupers that started it. That said, they - the club, not the Illuminati - have only been around since 2004 and thus they haven't really had time to get particularly rowdy with anyone. Expect a family friendly atmosphere, with a little needle against local rivals Augsburg and more away fans than home supporters against Bayern.