In order to better understand current efforts by German soccer fans to defend the game they love, this article sheds light on the deeper relevance of the broad history of association formation in Germany. German soccer culture stands out among the “Big 5” leagues of European soccer for more proactive engagement of club fans, but to date, there has been scarce consideration of how the long history of Vereine and their civic relevance figure in today’s public debates surrounding soccer culture. The value of Mitbestimmung, so central to fans’ fight for soccer today, has strong roots in the widespread formation of associations in the long 19th century. Retracing these roots reveals that while these values are not unique to professional sports, it is in soccer that we see social engagement amid modern paradoxes crystallize in a glocal battle to maintain deeply held social values that reach beyond the playing field of one sport.