1. CfR Pforzheim have only existed since 2010, but are already preparing for their first campaign in the DFB Pokal. The club were founded in 2010 after a merger between VfR Pforzheim and 1.FC Pforzheim. The amateurs have drawn Europa League side Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the first round, with the game taking place on Saturday, 18th August (15:30 CEST). The Pforzheim stadium, the Holzhofstadion, has undergone significant building work, so that 4,725 fans can now take their place for the historic match.
In the run up to the game, there were several issues, which could have prevented Pforzheim from hosting the game in their own stadium. The club then turned to the city for help, with Mayor Peter Boch stating: “We wanted the city to have this massive sporting event. We had to meet certain requirements, so that the game could be played here.”
Pforzheim played in the Verbandsliga Nordbaden after its foundation, before clinching promotion to the Oberliga in 2015. The team coached by Gökhan Gökce, finished last season in 13th place and qualified for the DFB Pokal by reaching the final of the Baden Cup, where they lost 5-4 on penalties to Karlsruher SC after holding them to a 1-1 draw in normal time. Karlsruher had however already qualified for the first round by virtue of finishing third in the third-division.
1. CfR Pforzheim have only existed since 2010, but are already preparing for their first campaign in the DFB Pokal. The club were founded in 2010 after a merger between VfR Pforzheim and 1.FC Pforzheim. The amateurs have drawn Europa League side Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the first round, with the game taking place on Saturday, 18th August (15:30 CEST). The Pforzheim stadium, the Holzhofstadion, has undergone significant building work, so that 4,725 fans can now take their place for the historic match.
In the run up to the game, there were several issues, which could have prevented Pforzheim from hosting the game in their own stadium. The club then turned to the city for help, with Mayor Peter Boch stating: “We wanted the city to have this massive sporting event. We had to meet certain requirements, so that the game could be played here.”
Pforzheim played in the Verbandsliga Nordbaden after its foundation, before clinching promotion to the Oberliga in 2015. The team coached by Gökhan Gökce, finished last season in 13th place and qualified for the DFB Pokal by reaching the final of the Baden Cup, where they lost 5-4 on penalties to Karlsruher SC after holding them to a 1-1 draw in normal time. Karlsruher had however already qualified for the first round by virtue of finishing third in the third-division.
