On Saturday (8 p.m.) VfB Stuttgart against Arminia Bielefeld in Berlin wants to win the DFB Cup for the fourth time in the club history. Most recently, the Swabian succeeded in 1997 under coach Jogi Löw.
Frank Verlaat can still remember the emotional event: “In June 1997”, says the captain of the VfB Cup winning team from that time in a video message to SWR Sport, “there was the last cup victory of VfB Stuttgart”. According to Verlaat, “was of course far too long ago. And it is time to bring the trophy to Stuttgart again”.
28 years ago: The last cup victory against Cottbus
He is absolutely right, the former Libero and Defense of the Swabians in the 90s from the Netherlands, now 57 years old and with a second home in Portugal. Curious: As now on Saturday against Arminia Bielefeld, VfB Stuttgart also met that June 14, 1997 on a third division club. At that time it was the regional league team Energie Cottbus, which Verlaat & Co. beat 2-0 in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Goal scorer Giovane Elber scored both Stuttgart’s goals before moving to FC Bayern in Munich in the following season. This was followed by a long and emotional party of the team around the “magical triangle” with Elber, Fredi Bobic and Krassimir Balakow in the capital.
And the next day, an unforgettable ceremony followed at the cup winner reception at home in front of the Stuttgart town hall: success coach Jogi Löw lost a bet and then his magnificent black mane. Fredi Bobic worked as a hobby hairdresser and shaved the unfortunate Löw in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans a bald head.
The cup triumph from 1997 was the last final victory in the history of VfB Stuttgart for the time being:
First cup victory of VfB 1954 and 1958
On April 17, 1954 the Swabians had the “pot” for the first time, won 1-0 in Ludwigshafen against 1. FC Köln in extra time. Erwin Waldner shot the golden cup goal for VfB after 94 minutes.
The November 16, 1958: The Swabians repeated the cup coup. In the Auestadion of Kassel, VfB, again after extra time, hit Fortuna Düsseldorf 4: 3. Lothar Weise was the acclaimed winning goal scorer in a dramatic game after 113 minutes.
First bankruptcy in a final in 1986 against Bavaria
28 years later, on May 3, 1986In its third final participation, VfB failed a final in its third final participation. The team around Karlheinz Förster, Guido Buchwald and Jürgen Klinsmann went 2: 5 against FC Bayern. The outstanding man in the Berlin Olympic Stadium was Munich’s striker Roland Wohlfarth, who scored three goals.
Also on May 26, 2007 The Stuttgart-based team deflected the DFB Cup final. This time as a house -high favorite against the outsider 1. FC Nürnberg. Stuttgart was quickly in the lead through Cacau, but the striker then received a red card and VfB lost the game. Nuremberg’s Dane Kristensen defeated VfB keeper Timo Hildebrand in extra time to 3: 2 for the FCN. The immensely disappointed Swabians thus missed the coveted double as a German champion.
Tickets, jerseys and jersey: The most important information about VfB in the DFB Cup final
VfB Stuttgart against Bielefeld – a winner is already certain before the cup final
Beware of these Arminen! This is the final opponent of VfB Stuttgart
Last Final defeat 2013 again against Bayern
A 2: 3 defeat also set it on June 1, 2013 In the final against FC Bayern Munich. Again there was Swabian tears and drama: The team of the then Munich coach Jupp Heynckes was twice in the lead in Berlin by ex-VfB scorer Mario Gomez and Thomas Müller before Martin Harnik shortened with a double strike for the Stuttgart. There was nothing more in the exciting final phase. A bitter disappointment for VfB coach Bruno Labbadia and his boys.
Frank Verlaat and the VfB Cup winner from 1997 are there in Berlin
On Saturday, VfB Stuttgart’s final weakness should finally move back into life in VfB Stuttgart and everything will be completely different: the Swabians absolutely want the fourth trophy triumph. “I wish all players, coaches and supervisors all the best and good luck against Bielefeld,” cup winner captain Frank Verlaat sends greetings via SWR Sport towards Stuttgart, “of course I wish you the victory, the pot and the party afterwards.”
And Frank Verlaat will be there in the middle of it and live. Because he and the other VfB Cup winners from 1997 are all invited from the club to the final in Berlin.
Prize on Sat., 24.5.2025 8:00 p.m., stadium, SWR1
