Where will the DFB Cup game between Norderstedt and St. Pauli take place?

Where will the DFB Cup game between Norderstedt and St. Pauli take place?

The DFB Cup is already casting its shadow, and Eintracht Norderstedt faces a big challenge: In the first round, the coach's team will face FC St. Pauli. The draw only took place less than 24 hours ago, but the question of where the game will take place is a topic of conversation, as the local Edmund Plambeck Stadium can only accommodate 2,000 spectators due to renovations. The stadium normally holds 5,000 fans, but the backstretch has remained closed for two years. Picture reports that Norderstedt's managing director Finn Spitzer and his team are already looking for alternatives.

An exchange of home rights is one of the options available. However, this would require a mutual agreement between the two clubs and the consent of the DFB. Eintracht Norderstedt has already had experience with such an exchange in the past when they played a game at the BayArena in 2020 due to the corona pandemic. An exchange could also be considered for the upcoming game, but the conditions for this are clearly stipulated.

Venue alternatives

Possible venues are being discussed in many corners. The traditionally tarnished plan to play the game at the Edmund Plambeck Stadium appears increasingly uncertain. Discussions with those responsible at St. Pauli and HSV are taking shape. A possible alternative would be the Holstein Stadium in Kiel or possibly the stadium in the Volkspark. Given the current situation in Norderstedt, short-term solutions must be found, as the city is now working intensively to enable temporary use of its own stadium. However, a repair by August seems unlikely, as Millernton also states.

Norderstedt faces a lot of challenges in the first round of the DFB Cup. The team has had to experience several times in recent years how tricky it can be to compete against larger clubs. Norderstedt was unable to win for a long time in these matches against opponents from the Bundesliga: In their previous cup games they achieved the following results:

In addition, there are major requirements that the amateur clubs in the DFB Cup have to meet this year. According to Deutschlandfunk, over 90 clubs could take part in the first round, which means for Norderstedt that they not only have to be on top of their game, but also organizationally. A clear bureaucratic effort is involved, while the opponents have direct access to larger numbers of viewers.

The first round games will take place between August 15th and 18th. Energy and creativity are needed to put this sporting event together in the best possible way. Now all that remains is to hope that everyone involved can agree on a solution that does justice to both the fans and the players. Time is of the essence and the shaking of heads over a lack of capacity will certainly not end in the region.