FC St. Pauli plays the DFB Cup in their own stadium against Norderstedt!

FC St. Pauli plays the DFB Cup in their own stadium against Norderstedt!

On July 1, 2025, the news about the DFB Cup brought a breath of fresh air to the North German football scene. There was an interesting twist at the draw at the German Football Museum in Dortmund: FC St. Pauli will face Eintracht Norderstedt in the first round of the 2025/26 DFB Cup, with the game taking place on August 16th at 3:30 p.m. at the Millerntor Stadium. But what's special about it? Norderstedt is the host in its own “stadium” - this regulation results from an extraordinary exchange of home rights between the two clubs, as NDR reports.

The background to this duel is promising: Eintracht Norderstedt made their way to the first round of the DFB Cup by beating USC Paloma 5-4 on penalties in the Hamburg Cup competition. This encounter marks Norderstedt's fifth participation in the DFB Cup; The last experience in 2021 was less pleasant when they were eliminated 4-0 by Hannover 96 in the first round. However, sports director Andreas Bornemann is optimistic and is looking forward to an exciting neighborhood duel where the stands will hopefully be full of fans, as fcstpauli.com added.

An exchange of home rights

In a surprising turn of events, home advantage was swapped between Eintracht Norderstedt and FC St. Pauli. Thanks to this agreement, the Kiezkickers and their U23s can play their home games in Norderstedt, which underlines the special charm of the cup game. The news was announced on Tuesday and gives Eintracht Norderstedt the opportunity to mobilize their fan base in the stadium.

The anticipation for this duel can already be felt. Tickets for the game will soon be offered in advance by the respective clubs, so that fans can prepare for the event well in advance. An exciting afternoon is expected where regional pride and sporting ambition come together.

Personnel changes

As FC St. Pauli starts the new season, there is also a change in personnel. Philipp Treu will leave the club and return to SC Freiburg, leaving a gap in the team. The fans are curious to see whether the club will find an adequate replacement to meet their own demands this cup season.

The omens for the cup game could hardly be better. On August 16th, the football world plans to turn its eyes to the Millerntor Stadium, where the two clubs will meet. The promise of an exciting game is in the air and both FC St. Pauli and Eintracht Norderstedt have everything to win. It remains to be seen whether there will be a first big highlight of the season - but the enthusiasm for football is already very much alive.

Further exciting information about the DFB Cup and the upcoming season can also be found at Spiegel.