Cup quarter-finals in Saarbrücken canceled – “Place in a disastrous condition”
DFB Cup quarter-finals in Saarbrücken canceled shortly before kick-off
The DFB Cup quarter-final between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach has been canceled due to the pitch being unplayable. Those responsible around referee Florian Badstübner decided this a few minutes before the planned kick-off.
The quarter-finals in the DFB Cup between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach will not take place. A few minutes before kick-off, the referee decided not to whistle the game because the pitch was unplayable. Constant rain had damaged the lawn too much.
Dhe last quarter-final of the DFB Cup between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach was canceled after heavy rain. The German Football Association announced that the field conditions in the Ludwigsparkstadion did not allow the game to be played regularly. According to the DFB, a catch-up date should be announced as quickly as possible. Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and second division teams Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Kaiserslautern had previously qualified for the semi-finals.
Large pools of water had formed on the lawn of Saarbrücken’s Ludwigsparkstadion. Helpers tried to dry the area with leaf blowers, but were ultimately unable to do so sufficiently.
The game would have degenerated into a slide game
Source: Getty Images/Andreas Schlichter
Referee Florian Badstübner initially sent both teams onto the field to warm up, but seven minutes before the scheduled kick-off at 8:45 p.m. the cancellation followed to the whistles of the fans. The Gladbach supporters fired pyrotechnics that they had brought with them. “It was a brutally difficult decision. The topic of injury risk is important. That was too big for me. If someone gets injured, then I have a problem. Saarbrücken tried everything so that we could play. We wanted to give them time, which is why we decided to cancel so late. We wanted to communicate this in a way that kept things quiet in the stadium. The place is in a disastrous condition,” said Badstübner.
“We definitely don’t have rubber boots with us”
When both delegations arrived at the stadium around two hours before the scheduled kick-off time, they were very surprised. Although it had rained all day in Saarland, most people hadn’t expected the place to be so affected.
So the hustle and bustle quickly began on the sidelines and there were many discussions. Official lineups were published 70 minutes before the scheduled kick-off time. “We have to wait and see what happens,” said Mönchengladbach’s sports director Nils Schmadtke and added with a laugh: “We definitely don’t have the rubber boots with us.”
Curious: At the end of October, the third division game against Dynamo Dresden in Saarbrücken was canceled because the pitch was unplayable after heavy rain. The second round cup game against FC Bayern Munich three days later was therefore hanging in the balance for a long time. The game was ultimately able to be played, with Saarbrücken sensationally knocking the record champions and record cup winners out of the competition with a 2-1 score.
Both teams couldn’t do more than warm up
Source: dpa/Uwe Anspach
“It is the right decision for the health of the players. It’s obviously bitter for the audience. We really wanted to play, but it’s just not possible,” said Gladbach coach Gerrardo Seoane.
When will the game be rescheduled? Gladbach’s sports director Roland Virkus: “We are still in the process of finding a date that suits both teams. Neither of us play internationally, so it shouldn’t be that difficult.”