"It's all in the mind": Kuntz wary of Pirmasens, Werder's cup nemesis | OneFootball

For Stefan Kuntz, the cup match at FK Pirmasens is a return to his roots. That's not the only reason the HSV boss is warned.

When Hamburger SV takes on FK Pirmasens in the 1st round of the DFB Cup on Saturday, sports director Stefan Kuntz expects a special game. The 62-year-old comes from Neunkirchen in Saarland, which is only 40 kilometers from the "Sportpark Husterhöhe".

In his youth at Borussia Neunkirchen, he often met FKP, who was one of the big names in the region at the time. "I remember many heated duels in my youth. My father also played in the old stadium in the 1960s," Kuntz reports in an interview with the HSV homepage.

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Kuntz demands: "Have to be mentally fully there"

His own career took him to the surprising cup victory over Werder Bremen with 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 1989/1990. "In the cup, we didn't have a lot of pressure, we just played and made it to the final," he recalls. This experience shapes him to this day and also makes him approach the game in Pirmasens with respect.

Because history shows that favorites can stumble in the 1st round. Best example: In 2006, FK Pirmasens eliminated Bundesliga club Werder Bremen 5-3 in a penalty shootout. "They will also say that they have no chance in nine out of ten games. But they will aim for that tenth game. It's our job to not let them do that," warns Kuntz.

How is that supposed to work? As a player, you have to "be physically and mentally fully there to win the game," demands the board member and adds: "The decisive component is the head. You can't give the opponent an early lead in these cup games, for example. Because then the crowd can quickly join in, the opponent's legs get lighter and the differences don't come into play so quickly."

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