Not for 31 years
Bundesliga is experiencing historic cup exodus
November 2, 2023, 9:27 a.m
The supposedly small ones haven’t had such good chances in the DFB Cup for a long time: it’s been more than 30 years since so few first division teams reached the round of 16. Back then, Bayer Leverkusen won in a special final – and perhaps history would repeat itself.
Record cup winner Bayern Munich? Out! Defending champion RB Leipzig? Out! There are also Union Berlin, 1. FC Köln, 1. FC Heidenheim, SC Freiburg, 1899 Hoffenheim and FSV Mainz 05. After the exodus of the Bundesliga clubs in the second round of the DFB Cup, there are only six representatives of the upper house left Round of 16 – as few as last time in 1992/93.
Werder Bremen, Darmstadt 98, FC Augsburg and VfL Bochum had already failed in the first round. 31 seasons ago, only Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Karlsruher SC, 1. FC Nürnberg and Leverkusen from the first league were represented in the round of the best 16.
In that cup season there was also a curiosity in the final. Not only did the Werkself, the current Bundesliga leaders, win their only national title to date in the final. In addition, they won 1-0 against the amateur team Hertha BSC, which had previously beaten second division team Hannover and Bundesliga club Nuremberg. To this day, the “Hertha Bubis” enjoy cult status among the Berliners – since then the club has never been so close to winning the cup in their home Olympic Stadium.
Theoretically, this could happen again this season. This time, in addition to the six Bundesliga teams, eight second division teams, one third division team and one fourth division team are in the round of 16. And this time the group of second division teams again includes Hertha BSC, who are, in a sense, the “Bubis” again. After the relegation and the severe financial hardships, the Berlin squad has been significantly rejuvenated: in the confident 3-0 win against Mainz on Wednesday evening, four former youth players were in the starting line-up, and two more were substituted on during the game.
Next Sunday will provide the first indications of whether history repeats itself. Because then the round of 16 of the DFB Cup will be drawn. The games will be played on December 5th and 6th. The cup final will take place on May 25, 2024 in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.