DFB Cup
FCK cup highlights: Triumph in 1996 as a relegated team
In 1996, Kaiserslautern, who had been relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time a week earlier, travelled to the capital as an underdog and won the cup. Photo
© Wolfgang Kumm/dpa
1. FC Kaiserslautern celebrated triumph in the DFB Cup final in 1990 and 1996. There were also memorable games for the traditional club.
Labbadia and Kuntz meet in the final in 1990
The final nine years later, at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, was more positive for the Lautern team. Under coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, the FCK had just avoided relegation from the Bundesliga and was then an outsider in the DFB Cup final. In the match on May 19, 1990 against Werder Bremen, coached by later FCK championship coach Otto Rehhagel, the Palatinate team were already leading 3-0 after 30 minutes thanks to two goals from Bruno Labbadia and one from Stefan Kuntz, and won 3-2.
DFB Cup winner as relegated team
In 1996, Kaiserslautern, having been relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time a week earlier, traveled to the capital again as underdogs – and won again. Martin Wagner was the celebrated player when he scored a 1-0 winning goal against Karlsruher SC shortly before half-time on May 25th. Although the FCK had to finish the game outnumbered after Andreas Brehme, who died in February of this year, was sent off, they managed to win over time. It was the Palatinate team’s last cup victory to date.
Semi-final triumph against Leverkusen
The Red Devils have good memories of their current final opponents Leverkusen: with the Bayer team, the club has one of its biggest cup games of the past ten years. In February 2014, FCK, as a second division team, won 1-0 in Leverkusen after extra time and moved into the semi-finals. Fans still remember the winning goal scorer Ruben Jenssen to this day.
Victories against Mainz and Saarbrücken as celebration days
The fact that Southwest rivals 1. FC Saarbrücken were defeated 2-0 in the semi-finals of this year’s competition is the last highlight of the Lauterer Cup history. Derby victories in this competition are something special in Kaiserslautern anyway. When FCK, the then third division team, knocked FSV Mainz 05 out of the competition 2-0 in August 2019, the fans celebrated wildly in the Fritz Walter Stadium.