Bielefeld ensures novelty
© Imago
The move into the final of the DFB Cup gives Arminia Bielefeld another descendant. At least 2.88 million euros are certain of the third division clubs that the Bielefeld would even collect EUR 4.32 million in a final triumph. In addition, there are about 45 percent of ticket revenue from the final in the Berlin Olympic Stadium, where just over 74,000 spectators are expected on May 24th.
However, the additional income in Bielefeld does not provide a shopping frenzy. “Everyone now thinks we’ll take the money and can simply spend it. But that’s not the case,” sports manager Michael Mutzel said to the German Press Agency before the 2-1 against Bayer Leverkusen. The semi-finals had already given the club around 6.5 million euros on DFB premiums alone. The 45-year-old explained: “We have taken over an extremely many contaminated sites. These are, for example, transfer liabilities and other liabilities. The bonuses from the trophy give us a lot of air to breathe. But we don’t have the money on the high edge.”
The third division team is now “significantly healthier” than a year ago. “We used the money to put many problems aside,” said Mutzel. If the Arminia in Berlin creates the great sensation and gains the DFB Cup, the team of coach Mitch Kniat would certainly be qualified for the Europa League league. And Mutzel would have even more scope financially.
Arminias Cup-Held Wörl strikes again: “Pure goosebumps”
Marius Wörl also wrote the next chapter in his personal cup history on Tuesday evening at the Alm. With his goal to compensate for the top scorer in the 2024/25 competition. The 20-year-old had previously met against Union Berlin and Werder Bremen, and a goal against Hanover, Freiburg and the Köpenickers. Wörl had already explained his special achievements in the DFB Cup in February in the large transfer market interview as follows:
“I am still relatively young and therefore of course these are the biggest games that I personally had in my career so far. I am then completely motivated to the top and always try to give everything for the club, the team and a progress. I love evening games, I love it when the stadium is sold out. Every single cup game is totally fun up to this point.”
On Wednesday after the final whistle, Wörl said: “I can’t believe it. (…) Pure goosebumps, the referee whistled and everyone is running onto the field, that was a cauldron that wore us today. (…) It was such a hard way, but also not undeserved. (…) I have never felt such a feeling.” In his second season at Arminia, Wörl played into focus, not least because of his trophy appearances. Hannover 96 secured the services of the midfield player trained at TSV 1860 in February after the Werder game immediately by buyback clause, before that Bielefeld had already activated the purchase option of the rental player-in vain. Wörl’s market value had recently shot up twice in a row.
Archive February 2025: Click here for the complete transfer market interview with Marius Wörl by Arminia Bielefeld
Better than the predecessors: Arminia Bielefeld ensures novelty
The first move into the final of the DFB Cup is a historical one for the DSC, but also one for the football history books. What makes the Bielefelder 2-1 in the semifinals against Master Bayer Leverkusen so special: it was the fourth victory in a series against a Bundesliga club. No team below the second division had managed that in the cup.
If the Arminia triumphed on May 24th, the team of coach Kniat would provide another novelty: a third division club has never won the DFB Cup. Before the Bielefeld sensation, the then third -class regional league team Hertha BSC II (1993), Energie Cottbus (1997) and Union Berlin (2001) also reached the final. Hertha’s amateurs (2-1 in the quarter -finals against Nuremberg) and Union (1-0 in the quarter -finals against Bochum) defeated only one Bundesliga club on the way to the final. With Duisburg, St. Pauli and the KSC, Cottbus switched off three first division clubs.