"Why underaged sports teams frequently lack home matches of their own"
Lower-League Teams Adapt to Host High-Profile DFB-Pokal Matches
In the upcoming DFB-Pokal (German Cup), several fifth-tier clubs are set to host games against top-tier opposition, despite facing logistical challenges.
FV Engers from Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate, will take on Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in Koblenz on Sunday at 1:00 PM. This change of venue is due to logistical reasons, as the club's home stadium in Neuwied is not equipped to handle the large crowd and professional facilities required for such a high-profile match.
Similarly, RSV Eintracht 1949 from Stahnsdorf, on the outskirts of Berlin, will make their DFB-Pokal debut against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Sunday at 3:30 PM at the Potsdam Karl-Liebknecht-Stadion.
The German Football Association (DFB) aims to meet the wishes of the home clubs for the DFB-Pokal, but fifth-tier teams must meet certain stadium requirements to host matches. While there is no single publicly detailed official document specifying all these requirements for lower-tier clubs, practical standards can be inferred from examples of fifth-tier clubs hosting DFB-Pokal matches in recent seasons.
These inferred requirements include a minimum capacity around 10,000, strict safety regulations, and sufficient professional facilities. If a club's home stadium falls short, alternative venues are allowed, as seen with SV Hemelingen, a Bremen-Ligist, who will play their DFB-Pokal debut against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday at 3:30 PM due to a pitch problem and will play at the Weserstadion.
Interestingly, it's rare for lower-league amateur clubs to actually play their cup home games where they usually play. SV Atlas Delmenhorst voluntarily moved their cup match to a larger stadium due to infrastructure requirements, despite having the capacity to host the game in Delmenhorst. The game against Borussia Mönchengladbach will take place in Oldenburg instead.
The DFB-Pokal implementation regulations, which are only accessible online for the participating clubs, consist of over 90 pages. Despite the costs related to travel and stadium rental, fifth-tier clubs financially benefit from cup participation. For instance, Only FK Pirmasens from the Oberliga Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar hosts their DFB-Pokal game at their genuine home ground, with the stadium sold out for their match against Hamburger SV, expecting net revenues of around 100,000 euros.
As the DFB-Pokal progresses, it's clear that lower-league teams are rising to the challenge of hosting high-profile matches, ensuring a memorable experience for both the players and the fans.
