DFB-Pokal: Two first-round ties at the Volksparkstadion? | OneFootball

Traditionally, HSV plays away from home in the 1st round of the DFB-Pokal. This time, however, as many as two amateur clubs could make use of the Volksparkstadion.

One of them is Lüneburger SK Hansa, who will face Werder Bremen between August 21 and 24. “Werder is incredible! A top draw!”, chairman Raphael Marquardt celebrated. However, hosting the match at home is hardly an option. The sports ground in Lüneburg can hold around 4,000 fans, but given the short trip for the away supporters, who are known to travel well anyway, a much larger crowd seems possible.

“For me, Werder has the potential to stage this match on a very big stage,” vice-chairman Manfred Nitschke emphasized in an interview with the “Lüneburger Landeszeitung”. Attention is turning to Hamburg, about an hour away. LSK sees both the Millerntor, which has a capacity of 29,546 and is therefore about half the size, and the Volksparkstadion as possible venues. He said contact had therefore been made with the operators of both stadiums.

Photo: IMAGO

DFB-Pokal: BVB to return to the Volksparkstadion for a first-round match?

A similar situation applies to Hamburg Oberliga side HEBC, which qualified for the DFB-Pokal for the first time in 92 years. Winning the regional cup was crowned with an absolute dream draw. The fifth-tier club from the Eimsbüttel district will take on Borussia Dortmund. Regardless of the opponent, the match could not have been played on the club’s home artificial turf pitch anyway.

Given the highly attractive opponent, the question also arises of a move to either the Millerntor or the Volksparkstadion. HEBC will not clash with LSK in that regard, however. Because Dortmund are taking part in the Supercup against FC Bayern Munich on August 22, the cup match will not be played until September 1 or 2. That date makes planning more difficult for the amateur club, as it raises the question of how many fans can be drawn to the stadium on a weekday.

Only the Diamond – by HSV fans for HSV fans

Two years ago, regional league side Phoenix Lübeck hosted BVB on a Saturday evening and enjoyed a crowd of more than 50,000. HEBC would gladly take a similarly high figure. For now, however, the club is still in the planning phase. “We are meeting with HSV this Tuesday. Talks with FC St. Pauli are scheduled to take place this week,” the club said to Abendblatt

The key factor in the decision-making process will be the financial calculation. The Oberliga club could likely generate a profit of around half a million euros with a sold-out Millerntor, while moving to the Volkspark would involve the greater economic risk. A decision must be made by the end of June at the latest. It may then happen twice: DFB-Pokal at the Volksparkstadion without HSV involvement.

Photo: Getty Images

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.