DFB Cup: 1. FC Saarbrücken against Borussia Mönchengladbach canceled

taketonews

New date open

©IMAGO

The last quarter-final of the DFB Cup between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach was canceled on Wednesday after heavy rain. The German Football Association announced that the field conditions in the Ludwigsparkstadion did not allow the game to be played regularly. According to the DFB, a catch-up date should be announced as quickly as possible. Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and second division teams Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Kaiserslautern had previously qualified for the semi-finals.

Large pools of water had formed on the lawn of Saarbrücken’s Ludwigsparkstadion. Helpers tried to dry the area with leaf blowers, but were ultimately unable to do so sufficiently. Referee Florian Badstübner initially sent both teams onto the field to warm up, but seven minutes before the scheduled kick-off at 8:45 p.m. the cancellation followed to the whistles of the fans. The Gladbach supporters fired pyrotechnics that they had brought with them.

Third and fourth division teams in the semi-finals: surprises of the DFB Cup

FC St. Pauli – Season 2005/06 – Out in the semi-finals

&copy IMAGO

After FC St. Pauli (North Regional League), only one third and one fourth division team from the lower classes made it to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. The Hamburg team failed at FC Bayern.

The 2005/06 cup season at a glance

Arminia Bielefeld – Season 2014/15 – Out in the semi-finals

&copy IMAGO

Arminia Bielefeld (3rd division) escaped Bayern’s draw in the semi-finals nine years after St. Pauli’s march through, but still lost 4-0 to VfL Wolfsburg.

The 2014/15 cup season at a glance

1. FC Saarbrücken – Season 2019/20 – Out in the semi-finals

&copy IMAGO

Saarbrücken (Southwest Regional League) was the only team that made it to the cup semi-finals as a fourth division team. There it was over against Bayer Leverkusen.

The 2019/20 cup season at a glance

Eintracht Trier – 1997/98 season – out in the semi-finals

&copy IMAGO

Trier experienced its cup highlight as a third division team in the semi-finals of 1998, where it ended in a spectacular penalty shootout against MSV Duisburg.

The 1997/98 cup season at a glance

Energie Cottbus – Season 1996/97 – Out in the final

&copy IMAGO

Energie Cottbus also achieved the feat of reaching the final as a third division team in 1996, having to give up the final against VfB Stuttgart.

The 1996/97 cup season at a glance

Hertha BSC II – Season 1992/93 – Out in the final

&copy IMAGO

In 1993, Hertha made it to the final, but was the third division reserve team. In the final it was 1-0 for Bayer Leverkusen.

The 1992/93 cup season at a glance

When both delegations arrived at the stadium around two hours before the scheduled kick-off time, they were very surprised. Although it had rained all day in Saarland, most people hadn’t expected the place to be so affected. So the hustle and bustle quickly began on the sidelines and there were many discussions. Official lineups were published 70 minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. “We have to wait and see what happens,” Mönchengladbach’s sports director Nils Schmadtke told the German Press Agency and added with a laugh: “We definitely don’t have the rubber boots with us.”

DFB Cup: Referee declares cancellation of the duel between Saarbrücken and Gladbach

Update 9:28 p.m.: According to referee Badstübner, it was unavoidable to cancel the game because of the risk of injury to the players. “When you see the pitch, you can’t play on it. The risk of injury was too great for me,” said the referee shortly after the cancellation. “The pitch is in a disastrous condition.” Badstübner continued: “Saarbrücken tried everything so that we could play. There were a lot of staff on the pitch to somehow clear the pitch of water, but they couldn’t do it. Then during the warm-up you saw how the players only warmed up on one spot, no matter how broken the pitch was. Then it was clear we couldn’t play.”

Curious: At the end of October, the third division game against Dynamo Dresden in Saarbrücken was canceled because the pitch was unplayable after heavy rain. The second round cup game against FC Bayern Munich three days later was therefore hanging in the balance for a long time. The game was ultimately able to be played, with Saarbrücken sensationally knocking the record champions and record cup winners out of the competition with a 2-1 score. The draw for the semi-final games will now take place on Saturday with a double draw (Saarbrücken/Mönchengladbach) in the ZDF sports studio.

To home page

ttn-38