Fifth division FV Engers wants to make the cup game against Eintracht a “festive day”. Much suggests that the project succeeds. Even the Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller looks forward to “a piece of home”.
Long before the kick-off in this first round game of the DFB Cup, the football club Engers 07 has already achieved its goal: to create memories for life. This moment of the draw, the pack watching in the clubhouse, as the emblem of Frankfurt Eintracht, a Champions League club, was pulled out of the pot: Pure ecstasy. Or the anecdote of the trainer, Julian Feit, who was on the way to his honeymoon at that moment and shouts a whole parking garage with joy.
Or later, the ticket sales, The thousands of supporters lined up in the snake. Or the inlet children, exclusively from their own club youth, who are excitedly thinking about whether they should shake hands with Kevin Trapp, Mario Götze or Jonny Burkardt days beforehand. “Madness mood, insane euphoria,” says Martin Hahn, the first chairwoman of the fifth division team.
“A festive day for the whole region”
When Eintracht competes against FV Engers on Sunday (1 p.m.) in the Oberwerth stadium in Koblenz, many dreams come true. “It will be a festive day for Engers, a festive day for the whole region,” says Hahn in an interview with HR sports. The chairman of the district club of Neuwied, not far from the border with Hesse in Rhineland-Palatinate, has been a sought-after man for weeks. Hundreds of news would have reached him, he says, from ticket inquiries to congratulations to the cupless to a bunch of organ.
Engers’ handball players, for example, align a fan breakfast before the game, there is a public viewing followed by a party in front of the castle in Engers, and Hahn is also in close exchange with Eintracht managers. After all, there should be no lack of prominent guests, not even their fans, who will probably be in the majority. The Engers/Koblenz region (at least in parts) is in harmony.
Toppmöller once played against Engers himself
One of these guests will be Dino Toppmöller, for whom the opponent is no stranger. In 2011, in February, today’s Eintracht coach was still in a competitive game against Engers in the final sprint of the active career. Rhineland League, matchday 26, the FSV Salmrohr prevailed 3-1 in front of 125 spectators. Goal scorer, among other things, of course, Dino Toppmöller.
When the draw became known, he was of course happy, the 44-year-old said, “because it is a piece of home for me. It is the football association from my home region. The game will be a great thing for our team, for Engers and the whole region.”
Grabi, wood, nickel – the very big ones in the little Engers
Even Eintracht was a guest at the FVE. In 1968 the Frankfurters prevailed 9-1 in a friendly game. And at that time they were all on the ball. Jürgen Grabowski, Bernd Hölzenbein, Bernd Nickel, in the goal Hans Tilkowski, the very big names. In addition, 2,500 spectators in the vastness and an FVE teaching goal scorer, the then 19-year-old young man Paul Ganzer, who “hit the Tilkowski volley into the net out of full run”, as he proudly says today. Memories for life.
In the topicality, the hosts will of course go into the game as a blatant outsider on Sunday, and progress is almost impossible. And yet they take the game seriously. For example, René Eberz, the analyst, traveled to London, especially to watch Eintracht in the friendly against FC Fulham, “in order to be able to use the weaknesses that very few exists,” as he revealed to HR sports. Eberz even let his own 2-0 victory rush against SV Auersmacher for these findings. He will be able to get it.
“We can also play football”
The young coach Feit, 31 years old and only recently in office and dignity, does not want to give up beforehand. He says: “Everyone must have the will to show the Frankfurters: We can also play football.” And even the club chairman was infected by the prevailing euphoria: “We have no chance,” says Hahn, “and that is exactly our chance.” Those responsible, players and fans of the fifth league team have already won.
