Oliver Glasner and Sebastian Rode are the first from the Eintracht team to come very close to the DFB Cup. The shiny golden cup was positioned about a meter away from them on the podium in the catacombs of the Olympic Stadium when the Eintracht coach and with him the captain of the team familiarized themselves with the local conditions after arriving in Berlin on Friday afternoon.
This Saturday (8 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the DFB Cup and on ZDF, as well as on Sky), the Frankfurt team can win the DFB Cup for the sixth time after 1974, 1975, 1991, 1988 and 2018 and after the Europa League triumph last year to end this season with a title as well. Opponent RB Leipzig, who are in the Berlin final for the fourth time in five years, are the defending champions and are currently in impressive form: Coach Marco Rose’s team came to the capital with the recommendation of six competitive wins in a row, albeit a little late, because they had to deal with traffic jams on the way there.
“We feel well prepared,” said Glasner, who spoke of an opponent in “top condition”. “Both teams are well deserved in the final,” emphasized the 48-year-old, “the trophy sparkles equally for everyone.” Reaching seventh place in the Bundesliga last Saturday, which secured qualification for the European Cup, has in the past days, a “relaxed atmosphere” accompanies the training, “we are really looking forward to it”. He expects that “an incredible number” of Eintracht fans will ensure a home game atmosphere. Estimates assume up to 50,000 Frankfurt supporters among the 74,000 visitors.
An evening to enjoy
“We will do everything we have to bring the trophy to Frankfurt,” announced Glasner. The fact that it is a farewell game for him because his professional time on the Main will come to an end afterwards does not matter “until the final whistle”. He has “enough to do” and is “totally focused” on setting his people up so that they emerge victorious from the encounter, “whether it’s after 90 minutes, 120 minutes or penalties”.
“What happens in the end if we bring the trophy home, I don’t know. I let everything come to me,” added Glasner. He thanked the players whose performances had made it possible for him to play in the second final of his second year at Eintracht. “It’s a great story.” He will certainly enjoy the evening, especially since he only heard the best about the atmosphere from everyone who has already experienced a DFB Cup final in Berlin.
Rose praised Eintracht as a unit that was pursuing a “clear plan” “with quality, experience and speed”. “They’re just a good team and that’s why they’re here.” The same applies no less to the selection he is responsible for. The people of Leipzig are “in a good mood” and have “a lot to offer”. The RB coach predicted that it would be a “crisp, tight game”.
