The Bundesliga trophy: the ‘Meisterschale’ or Salad Bowl

For what many strive for, the privilege of raising it at the end of the season, one would imagine a conventional cup, with handles and in the shape one expects upon hearing the word ‘trophy’. But in Germany, a well-ornamented collectible piece is received, one affectionately dubbed as the Salad Bowl, for its round and concave shape.

To read: Pavel Pardo and Ricardo Osorio, the Mexicans who won the Bundesliga In Germany, the league does not award a cup as such, but rather a rather peculiar trophy. It’s the Meisterschale, fondly known as the Salad Bowl, for its round and concave shape. This trophy has been awarded to every German champion since even before the existence of the Bundesliga, introduced in 1949 as the replacement for the original trophy awarded prior to the disappearance of the original award, called Viktoria, in honor of the figure that adorned the trophy.

Since then, the beloved Salad Bowl has become the favorite of champions, and already with 69 years of existence, it has had to undergo two interventions to increase its size, and thus continue to have inscribed upon it the name of each winner of the Bundesliga. Such has been its use that in 1981 and 2009 these changes had to be made, and a third improvement is planned for 2026, the year until which theoretically the Meisterschale can accommodate names considering the availability of space.

More than one trophy?

Since the 1980s, the creation of replicas of the trophy has been allowed with the aim of allowing winners of more than one league the privilege of displaying their numerous Salad Bowl specimens in their showcases.

This has also been useful, as in years where the league is decided at the last moment, the league simply sends the original version of the Meisterschale to whoever is top of the table, and allows the use of replicas in case another team wins besides the leader for the ceremony and celebrations on championship day.