Excitement escalates in Saarland's Sparkassen-Kreispokal tournament, thanks to the revamped game format
For the upcoming 2025/2026 season, the Sparkassen Cup of the Saarland Football Association (SFV) has undergone a significant transformation. The competition, sponsored by the Sparkassen Financial Group Saar, aims to strengthen football in all regions and foster local enthusiasm for the sport.
The competition is now divided into four distinct districts: Saarbrücken, Saarland-Nordost, Saarland-Nordwest, and Saarland-Mitte, replacing the previous regional formats. This district structure is designed to increase local engagement through district-based play.
The entry points for the cup have also been revised. Teams from the Saarlandliga and Verbandsliga will start their participation in the 2nd round of the cup, while teams from lower divisions will begin in the 1st round. This change allows for broader participation across levels.
The tournament schedule and final have been streamlined as well. The district cup finals will take place in March 2026, followed by the overall final (the main Sparkassen Cup final) on May 8, 2026.
The first statewide cup round is scheduled for October 22, 2025. Notable entries include 1. FC Saarbrücken, a third division club, and FC 08 Homburg, a regional league club, who will join the competition in the seventh round.
Clubs from the Kreisliga to the Landesliga will only play against each other within their football district going forward. This change is expected to strengthen the game motivation of smaller clubs and promote fan identification with their local teams.
The quarter-finals will be played on March 4, 2026, after the winter break. The four district cup finals will be held on May 13, 2026, the eve of Ascension Day, as part of a new cup festival day.
The Sparkassen Financial Group has expressed clear approval for these reforms, with the expectation that the Sparkassen Cup will gain significant attractiveness through these measures and become a real cup highlight in the warm season. Cornelia Hoffmann-Bethscheider, president of the Sparkassenverband Saar, shares this sentiment, expressing her pleasure that the competition will become more exciting and fair for all clubs in Saarland.
All match schedules and results can be viewed on www.fussball.de. The finals of the Sparkassen District Cup will also be held on this new cup festival day. The reformed Sparkassen Cup promises to bring excitement and fairness to football clubs across Saarland, fostering a stronger connection between the sport and its fans.
The Sparkassen Financial Group aims to foster local enthusiasm for football through the transformed Sparkassen Cup, and this transformation includes division into four districts for increased local engagement. In the revised competition, teams from Saarlandliga and Verbandsliga start in the 2nd round of the cup, while teams from lower divisions begin in the 1st round.
