Berlin: VSG Berlin Altglienicke (Regional League) – Viktoria Berlin (3rd League)
What a disgrace for Viktoria Berlin: in 2020 the state cup final against Altglienicke was lost 6-0. Even now, the team is not necessarily the favorite as they have recently been relegated to the third division. On the other hand, there is DFB Cup experience on the coaching bench in Altglienicke. Head coach Karsten Heine led Hertha BSC II to the final against Bayer Leverkusen (0:1) in 1993, his assistant coach is long-time Union player Torsten Mattuschka.
Brandenburg: VfB Krieschow (Oberliga) – Energie Cottbus (Regionalliga)
VfB Krieschow has a real star in its ranks, even if he’s getting on in years. The 40-time Bulgaria international Dimitar Rangelov plays for the fifth division. The 39-year-old came to the team from opponents in the final, Cottbus, of all places, which is why he will be particularly motivated. In general, Krieschow, just 20 minutes by car from Cottbus, is very popular with former energy players. In addition to Rangelov, Felix Geisler, Jonas Zickert and striker Andy Hebler also play for VfB.
Bremen: Bremer SV (Oberliga) – Leher TS (Oberliga)
You reach the first round of the DFB Cup, then you win the big prize and then you get a smack like that: That’s what happened to Bremer SV last year. After winning the state cup, the team was allowed to play against FC Bayern Munich and went down 0:12. But taking part is everything, and that’s why the SV wants to try their luck again. But before that, the defending champion has to get rid of the Leher Turnerschaft. And is the favourite, because Bremer SV arrives as the newly crowned champions of the Bremen league and plays in the relegation for promotion to the Regionalliga-Nord.
Hamburg: Altona 93 (Regional League) – Teutonia 05 Ottensen (Regional League)
Altona has to defend itself against competition from its own district. FC Teutonia 05 from the Ottensen district of Altona has caught up quite a lot with the big FC from 1893 in recent years and has now made it into the regional league. In 2015, the club was still fighting relegation from the sixth-rate state league. It’s bad enough for Altona that Teutonia is far ahead in the regional league table, now the club is preparing to win the Hamburg State Cup for the first time. That would probably make the changing of the guard in the Altona district perfect.
Hesse: TSV Steinbach Haiger (Regional League) – Kickers Offenbach (Regional League)
The Kickers from Offenbach are record cup winners in Hesse, but their last success was six years ago. The traditional club got the rank expired – including by TSV Steinbach Haiger, who won in 2018 and 2020. Even with promotion to the regional league, it didn’t work out for the Kickers again this year. Therefore, at least the return to the DFB Cup would be a success. And on the Bieberer Berg, the Kickers have taught some favorites to fear. The cup victory in 1970 as a second division team is unforgettable.
Mecklenburg-West Pomerania: TSG Neustrelitz (Oberliga) – Greifswalder FC (Oberliga)
The Kroos family is in final fever. Toni has reached the final of the Champions League with Real Madrid and will play against Liverpool on May 28th. A week earlier, father Roland and Greifswalder FC are up against Neustrelitz for the state cup of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. And Toni will keep his fingers crossed, after all, FC is his home club. Perhaps even more important than the state cup for Greifswald would be promotion to the Regionalliga-Nordost. The team is still involved in the table above. Small disadvantage in the state cup final: Neustrelitz is allowed to play in the local Parkstadion.
Middle Rhine: Fortuna Cologne (regional league) – FC Viktoria Cologne (3rd division)
The Middle Rhine is firmly in Cologne’s hands. Fortuna against Viktoria in the Höhenberg sports park, more Cologne is not possible. There is probably no real favorite in the city duel, although Viktoria plays a league higher as a third division team. For the last time, the 2016 state cup final was a Cologne affair – with exactly these protagonists. At that time, Viktoria prevailed very narrowly in a penalty shoot-out. The fact that the final is kicked off in Cologne is a happy coincidence. In the past ten years, the finals took place in Bonn’s Sportpark Nord, which is now being renovated.
Lower Rhine: SV Straelen (Regional League) – Wuppertaler SV (Regional League)
Peter Neururer can’t keep his hands off football. When he’s no longer a coach, he just wants to get involved elsewhere. The 67-year-old is currently a board member at Wuppertaler SV. And he is now in the state cup final against SV Straelen. To what extent this is due to Neururer is not known. In the semifinals, both teams were underdogs. Straelen prevailed against the third division team MSV Duisburg, Wuppertal defeated Rot-Weiss Essen and thus spoiled the opponent’s home game on Hafenstrasse.
Lower Saxony: Heeslinger SC (Oberliga) – TuS Blau-Weiss Lohne (Oberliga)
Lower Saxony hosts two cup competitions, the winners of which both qualify for the DFB Cup. One for teams from the 3rd league and the regional league, the other for clubs from the 5th league down. In this state cup for amateurs, the two fifth division teams Heeslinger SC and TuS Blau-Weiss Lohne meet on the final day. Incidentally, both clubs are in the state cup final for the first time. As a season champion and promoted regional league, Lohne is a favorite.
Rhineland: FV Engers (Oberliga) – FC Blau-Weiss Karbach (Oberliga)
Blau-Weiß Karbach still has a score to settle with FV Engers. Because two years ago, the team clearly lost 0:5 in the state cup final, but was beaten well below value. Now the team has a chance for revenge. However, both league games were lost for Blau-Weiss this season, so that Engers is going into the final with a broad chest and also as a slight favourite. The venue is steeped in history. Four track and field world records have already been set in the Oberwerth Stadium – by Edwin Moses and Carl Lewis, among others.
Saarland: FC Homburg (Regional League) – SV Elversberg (Regional League)
SV Elversberg, of course! The team has been in the state cup final for the eighth year in a row since 2014. No other club in Saarland has done that. After all, four victories jumped out for the SV. The final record against FC Homburg has also been balanced since 2014 – there were two wins and two defeats. The Homburg team eliminated the big favorites 1. FC Saarbrücken in the quarter-finals. After all, the Ludwigspark hosts the final. Elversberg is the favorite as a champion and third division promoted and also won the direct duel and thus the dress rehearsal 2-0 on the last matchday.
Saxony: Chemnitzer FC (Regionalliga) – BSG Chemie Leipzig (Regionalliga)
BSG Chemie only started playing in the twelfth league in 2008. However, since the club sees itself as the legitimate successor to the former East German Oberliga club of the same name and plays its home games in the traditional Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark in the Leutzsch district, the fan base is huge. After the surprising semi-final win against the third division team FSV Zwickau, the final is against Chemnitzer FC. He wants to do better than last year. The team lost to chemical competitor Lokomotive Leipzig. There was trouble beforehand. The final will kick off in Chemnitz and, in his opinion, chemistry got far too few tickets.
Saxony-Anhalt: FC Unity Wernigerode (Upper League) – 1. FC Magdeburg (3rd League)
FC Unity Wernigerode can go into the state cup final completely relaxed. Because the fifth division has already made it into the first round of the DFB Cup – for the first time, by the way. The reason: Opponents 1. FC Magdeburg will surely end the season in the 3rd division in one of the first four places and that entitles them to start in the cup. Wernigerode deserved this with the surprising semi-final victory against the third division team Hallescher FC.
Schleswig-Holstein: TSB Flensburg (Oberliga) – VfB Lübeck (Regionalliga)
Lübeck and the DFB Cup, there was something there. In 2004, under coach Dieter Hecking, the club came close to defeating eventual doubles winners Werder Bremen in the semi-finals, but unluckily lost on a memorable cup evening. Quite a few therefore see VfB as the “Cup Winner of Hearts” – even though they weren’t in the final. In the state cup final, the regional league team is the favorite against TSB Flensburg. However, the opponent should not be underestimated. In the semifinals, the team threw defending champion SC Weiche 08 out of the competition.
South Baden: DJK Donaueschingen (Verbandsliga) – SV Oberachern (Oberliga)
The South Baden Football Association has brought many great amateur clubs to the DFB Cup in recent years. 1. FC Rielasingen-Arlen, SV Linx, SV Waldkirch and FC Teningen have all taken part. Next year DJK Donaueschingen from the Verbandsliga or SV Oberachern from the Oberliga will be there. For the DJK, reaching the final is the greatest success in the club’s history – and it was hard-fought. In the semifinals it was 8:7 after penalties against FC Denzlingen. After 2020, 2016 and 1996, Oberachern is making its fourth attempt in terms of the DFB Cup.
Southwest: TSV Schott Mainz (regional league) – FK Pirmasens (regional league)
For both teams, the state cup is the chance to somehow save a completely failed regional league season or at least to provide a consolation. Because Pirmasens and Mainz have been relegated and have to start in the Oberliga next season. In the last dress rehearsal for the final, Pirmasens won 2-1 in a direct duel in the league.
Thuringia: FC Carl Zeiss Jena (Regional League) – ZFC Meuselwitz (Regional League)
In Thuringia, the only two regional league representatives prevailed in the competition. Jena recently won the state cup twice in a row, for Meuselwitz it would be the first title since 2011. Jena is the favourite. The team only just missed out on promotion, in the league there were two wins against Meuselwitz. The ZFC, on the other hand, had to deal with the relegation battle for a long time. Jena almost reached the second round of the DFB Cup last year, but then had to admit defeat to 1. FC Köln on penalties.
Westphalia: SC Preussen Munster (Regional League) – SV Rödinghausen (Regional League)
If Preußen Münster had been able to choose a final opponent, it probably wouldn’t have been SV Rödinghausen. The fact that the team missed out on promotion to the 3rd division was also due to SV, because they really annoyed the traditional club this season. Because the Munsters didn’t score a single goal in two league games at 0:0 and 0:1. Munster got the home field advantage and it’s a special game. It is the last competitive game in the Preußenstadion for the time being. At the beginning of June, the excavators roll in, and then the modernization begins.
Württemberg: SV Stuttgarter Kickers (Oberliga) – SSV Ulm 1846 (Regionalliga)
It is the duel between two former Bundesliga clubs who have meanwhile ended up in the lower leagues. The Kickers have even been in the DFB Cup final before. But that is a long time ago. In 1987 there was a defeat against Hamburger SV. Even now the team is on paper outsiders against higher-class players in Ulm – despite the home right. Because they were able to win the state cup four times in a row.