Game against Bundesliga club
Suspected manipulation in the DFB Cup
09/26/2025 – 9:13 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Before the DFB Cup game between SV Hemelingen and VfL Wolfsburg, betting providers raised the alarm due to striking missions. However, the investigation remained with no result – a suspicion of manipulation was not confirmed.
Unusually high betting operations on a clear defeat, conspicuous customer movements – the cup game between SV Hemelingen and VfL Wolfsburg (0: 9) had already awakened the authorities’ attention before the kick -off.
A few days before the round duel, several betting providers reported suspicious processes to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Especially in Bremen, the early warning systems increasingly registered high operations of newly registered customers – specifically on goal bets or a clear defeat in Hemelingen. The patterns were so striking that the BKA checked further bookmakers. There were also similar information there – but only related to this game.
Because at the same time rumors were circulating that players from the Bremen club had bet, a comprehensive examination was initiated. All team members and supervisors were compared with betting tags. Video recordings from betting agencies also flowed into the evaluation. However, a concrete suspicion of active players could not be confirmed. The only hit: a former Hemelingen player had placed a striking bet. According to the investigators, this information could have fueled the rumors.
The German Football Association (DFB) also sent its own observer who analyzed the game on site at signs of game manipulation. There were no abnormalities here either.
Ultimately, the BKA, the DFB and the sports betting association came to the conclusion: there was no indication of a manipulation. The game was regular.
VfL Wolfsburg, who won the game 9-0, was not involved in the investigation, according to its own statements and had not noticed anything from the events. In Hemelingen, the relief prevailed after the examinations have been completed: it was important for the club that no misconduct was found.
The sports betting association finally rated the incident as an example that the monitoring of legal betting markets gripped and potential attempts at manipulation would be recognized at an early stage.