After the quarter-finals in the DFB Cup between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach were canceled, the search for a catch-up date has begun. The game did not start on Wednesday evening due to heavy rain and the pitch in the Ludwigsparkstadion was unplayable. Both teams agreed with the referee’s decision. Now some questions arise.
When can you play?
The German Football Association (DFB) wants to find an appointment quickly. In principle, the search shouldn’t be that difficult since both teams are not internationally active. But it is expected to continue to rain in Saarbrücken in the next few days, which makes it unlikely that the event will take place next week. And in the game after next, Saarbrücken already has a catch-up game in the third division against Viktoria Köln. The DFB announced that the catch-up date should be announced “as quickly as possible” in coordination with both teams.
What’s next in the cup?
Bayer Leverkusen, Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Kaiserslautern have already been confirmed as semi-finalists. The draw for the semi-final duels will take place on Saturday in the ZDF sports studio. The DFB announced that there would also be a double draw (Saarbrücken/Mönchengladbach) in the pot. If this is drawn as an away team, the opponent would not know whether they are actually playing at home until the catch-up game is played. Because if Saarbrücken progresses, home advantage would be reversed.
Why are there always problems with the Saarbrücken lawn?
There had already been repeated discussions in advance about the playability of the third division club’s pitch due to drainage problems. The league game against Dynamo Dresden in October was canceled and the cup game against Bayern had been hanging in the balance for a long time. It was only the day before the planned Gladbach game that the city council decided to repair the lawn.
According to information from several media outlets, Mayor Uwe Conradt said in a statement on Wednesday evening: “We can only apologize to the clubs and the fans of both teams as well as to everyone who was in action on today’s match day for the inconvenience.” There are now “planning deficits clear out” and “solve the lawn problem”.
What do players and coaches say?
The professionals at 1. FC Saarbrücken are increasingly annoyed by the ongoing dispute over the pitch in the Ludwigsparkstadion. Goalkeeper Tim Schreiber appealed to the city in the evening: “It’s just annoying. The city should now see that it is unsustainable,” said the 21-year-old. For Schreiber and his teammates, the topic is almost an old story given past game cancellations.
Schreiber was also annoyed about “the costs that are now being incurred. Also for the Gladbach fans who came here.” The evening game under floodlights was completely sold out, 15,800 fans made their way to Ludwigspark despite constant rain. After the cancellation was announced, both fan camps finally made their displeasure known loudly. Nevertheless, the decision of the referee team around Florian Badstübner was the right one, said Schreiber: “It would not have been possible at all today. We have to see when we can play.”
Mönchengladbach’s coach Gerardo Seoane was also disappointed about the cancellation. “When you see the effort that goes into a game like this, it hurts us that it won’t be played,” said the Swiss on Wednesday evening in the catacombs of the stadium. Seoane assured that his team “absolutely wanted to play”. But it is “not a question of wanting, but of being able to. From that perspective, I can absolutely understand the decision.”
Despite all the disillusionment, the 45-year-old was still able to find something positive about the cancellation. “Now we’re coming home a few hours earlier,” said Seoane: “We now have three or four hours on the bus to think about how we’re going to use the training session.”
Daniel Theweleit, Leverkusen Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5 Frank Heike, Hamburg Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 A comment from Peter Penders Published/Updated: Recommendations: 9
On Saturday (3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) the “Foals”, who are listed in 13th place in the Bundesliga table, will meet bottom-placed Darmstadt 98, a groundbreaking game. There are still ten points between the two clubs, but a defeat could further shrink Borussia’s cushion on the relegation zone.
“We will certainly gratefully accept the training in order to prepare well for the game,” announced the Gladbach coach. Because after three league games without a win in a row, we should finally be able to win again. 1. FC Saarbrücken faces the Unterhaching game association on Sunday (7.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the third league and on MagentaSport) – assuming the game in Ludwigspark can take place.
