Berlin (dpa) – No FC Bayern, no BVB: The football establishment from Munich and Dortmund can only watch the DFB Cup. The quarter-finals will be a showdown for the hopeful outsiders with the game between the cult clubs 1. FC Union and FC St. Pauli as a fitting start.
The duel of dissenters from Berlin and Hamburg on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. / ARD / Sky) in the stadium at the Alte Försterei is symbolic of a crazy cup round. With St. Pauli, Hannover 96 and the direct opponents Hamburger SV and Karlsruher SC form a second division quartet in the last eight.
The absence of the top teams makes the prospects promising: not only for the big gold cup with the distinctive green crystal in the final on May 21 in the Berlin Olympic Stadium, but also for the ticket for the Europa League. “Of course, this year’s cup is a very special opportunity for us too,” said Freiburg’s sporting director Jochen Saier. “It’s extraordinary for us that we’re still in this competition,” commented coach Christian Streich, who on Wednesday (8.45 p.m. / ARD / Sky) led the Breisgauer into the only pure Bundesliga duel at VfL Bochum.
Hannover 96 demands RB Leipzig
For the first time in eleven years, neither record winner Bayern Munich nor defending champion Borussia Dortmund are still in the quarter-finals after their bankruptcies against Borussia Mönchengladbach (0:5) and St. Pauli (1:2). The last represented winner is second division club Hannover 96 (1992), who on Wednesday (6.30 p.m. / ARD / Sky) challenged the now big favorite RB Leipzig.
The Saxons are the last finalist (2019/2021) in the competition. In this millennium, only Union Berlin has been in the final once – 21 years ago, the Irons lost against FC Schalke 04 (0:2). Cup memories are fondly held high in the east of the capital. Just like the principles beyond the football mainstream. This connects the district clubs Union and St. Pauli.
Their presidents Dirk Zingler (Union) and Oke Göttlich (St. Pauli) consistently speak plain text on sensitive issues on both sides of football. But the basic attitudes of the clubs are also different. At Union, the meaningful self-image is still fed by the opposition attitude in the GDR era and has now developed into a clear Eastern identity. “Who doesn’t let the West buy them?” roars rocker Nina Hagen in the club’s anthem before every kick-off.
Clearly assigned roles
St. Pauli has long since become the label of the left and alternatively located neighborhood club. In the meantime, however, the club has also arrived in the economic football modern age. Those responsible – like their colleagues at Union – understood how to use the image of the somewhat different club in marketing. “We shouldn’t exaggerate the mythical exaggeration of things. The anti-commercial clubs play with sponsors and have a lettering on their chests,” admitted Union communications chief Christian Arbeit on Monday.
FC St. Pauli is consistently implementing the sponsorship trend towards more sustainability. Ecology, anti-racism, inclusion, diversity, social justice, LGBTQ or equal rights for women have long been part of the discourse in the association.
The sporting roles are clearly distributed. Union is the favorite as a Bundesliga club that has now been established and has also slowly overcome the departure of Max Kruse. St. Pauli, however, is lurking as well as third in the second division for promotion and for the first semi-final participation in the cup since 2006. The bonus brings a good two million euros, in addition to the cup million already earned.
Union coach Urs Fischer warned against premature final dreams. “It’s a quarter-final. To be in the final you have to get through the quarter-finals and then the semi-finals. The task is difficult enough. It’s about getting the focus right,” he said.
“It is not a matter of course for us to be in the quarter-finals,” said Pauli trainer Timo Schultz on Monday and also spoke of a “real chance” of the next coup. “The tingling will be there by tomorrow at the latest when the anthem is played. That’s a huge opportunity for us,” said Schultz.