Bayern München secured the DFB Cup title for the 18th time in 2015/16. Two weeks after the final in Berlin, the 64 teams for the upcoming season’s competition have been confirmed. The draw for the first round will take place on 18th June. 14 sides secured their ticket to the DFB Cup after the amateur leagues’ finale before Sportfreunde Lotte claimed the final spot on Sunday afternoon. They beat Sportfreunde Siegen 2-0 in the deciding game in Westfalen.
The teams are divided into two sections - "professionals" and "amateurs" - with 32 clubs in each. In the first round draw, the amateur teams are guaranteed to be faced with a professional team but will be given home advantage.
The professional clubs are the 18 Bundesliga sides from last seaon as well as the top 14 in the 2. Bundesliga. The bottom four second-division teams (TSV 1860 München, MSV Duisburg, FSV Frankfurt, SC Paderborn) are included in the amateur section. It’s exactly the same for the three newly-promoted and fourth-place sides in the third tier: Dynamo Dresden, FC Erzgebirge Aue, Würzburger Kickers and 1. FC Magdeburg.
Last spot to Sportfreunde Lotte
The line-up is completed by the 21 regional cup winners. Special provisions are, however, applied in Bavaria, Lower Saxony and Westphalia - each receive two places in the competition. In Lower Saxony, both cup finalists secure a spot: SV Drochtersen/Assel and 1. FC Germania Egestorf-Langreder.
The Bavarian Football Association awards the second DFB Cup place to the best first team in the Regionalliga Bayern. This year it is claimed by SSV Jahn Regensburg, who were champions. Westfalen played host to the deciding game between Oberliga champions Sportfreunde Siegen and the best Westphalian regional league side Sportfreunde Lotte. Favourites Lotte ran out 2-0 winners.
Participants in 2016/17 DFB Cup
"Professionals":
FC Bayern München
Borussia Dortmund
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Borussia Mönchengladbach
FC Schalke 04
FSV Mainz 05
Hertha BSC
VfL Wolfsburg
1. FC Köln
Hamburger SV
FC Ingolstadt
FC Augsburg
SV Werder Bremen
SV Darmstadt 98
TSG Hoffenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt
VfB Stuttgart
Hannover 96
SC Freiburg
RB Leipzig
1. FC Nürnberg
FC St. Pauli
VfL Bochum
1. FC Union Berlin
Karlsruher SC
Eintracht Braunschweig
SpVgg Greuther Fürth
1. FC Kaiserslautern
1. FC Heidenheim
Arminia Bielefeld
SV Sandhausen
Fortuna Düsseldorf
"Amateurs":
TSV 1860 München
MSV Duisburg
FSV Frankfurt
SC Paderborn
Dynamo Dresden
FC Erzgebirge Aue
Würzburger Kickers
1. FC Magdeburg
SSV Jahn Regensburg
SpVgg Unterhaching
Kickers Offenbach
SV Drochtersen/Assel
1. FC Germania Egestorf-Langreder
SV Eintracht Trier
FC Homburg
FSV Zwickau
Hallescher FC
Viktoria Köln
SC Hauenstein
BFC Preussen
FC Carl Zeiss Jena
Rot-Weiss Essen
VfB Lübeck
Bremer SV
FC Hansa Rostock
FC 08 Villingen
Eintracht Norderstedt
FV 1893 Ravensburg
FC-Astoria Walldorf
SV Babelsberg 03
SG Wattenscheid 09
Sportfreunde Lotte
