Regional league side 1. FC Saarbrücken will remember the good old days when they take on 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday 13th August (15:30 CEST) in the first round of the DFB Pokal. The team from the Saarland played Union twice in the 2001/02 season, but lost both times.
These times are well in the past now. FCS have played third or fourth division football (as they do now) since 2006. But a cup tie against second division Union Berlin should remind the men from the Saarland of happier times. The game won't be taking place at the traditional Ludwigsparkstadion becuase of regeneration work going on until next year, instead the match will take place at the Hermann-Neuberger-Stadion in neighbouring Völklingen.
Lottner and Keller meet again as coaches
The match against the Berliners will be a difficult one, even though it wasn't the dream tie that FCS head coach Dirk Lottner was hoping for, as he told the Saarbrücker Zeitung, "Obviously, Union isn't the team that was top of our list of opponents. It will, of course, be a very tough match." Dirk Lottner will be reunited with Union head coach Jens Keller; the pair of them were teammates during their playing days at FC Köln.
FCS have appeared three times in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal. The last time was in 1985. In their last appearance in the competition in 2013/14, they caused a shock by knocking out Werder Bremen. The Saarländer were themselves knocked out in the last 16, losing 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund. Union's biggest success in the competition came in 2001, when they lost in the final to Schalke 04. Saarbrücken were in the third division at the time. Since then, the capital city club has been knocked out in the last 16 twice, seven times in the first round and four times in round two. They took BVB all the way to penalties before losing in the second round last season.
Regional league side 1. FC Saarbrücken will remember the good old days when they take on 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday 13th August (15:30 CEST) in the first round of the DFB Pokal. The team from the Saarland played Union twice in the 2001/02 season, but lost both times.
These times are well in the past now. FCS have played third or fourth division football (as they do now) since 2006. But a cup tie against second division Union Berlin should remind the men from the Saarland of happier times. The game won't be taking place at the traditional Ludwigsparkstadion becuase of regeneration work going on until next year, instead the match will take place at the Hermann-Neuberger-Stadion in neighbouring Völklingen.
Lottner and Keller meet again as coaches
The match against the Berliners will be a difficult one, even though it wasn't the dream tie that FCS head coach Dirk Lottner was hoping for, as he told the Saarbrücker Zeitung, "Obviously, Union isn't the team that was top of our list of opponents. It will, of course, be a very tough match." Dirk Lottner will be reunited with Union head coach Jens Keller; the pair of them were teammates during their playing days at FC Köln.
FCS have appeared three times in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal. The last time was in 1985. In their last appearance in the competition in 2013/14, they caused a shock by knocking out Werder Bremen. The Saarländer were themselves knocked out in the last 16, losing 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund. Union's biggest success in the competition came in 2001, when they lost in the final to Schalke 04. Saarbrücken were in the third division at the time. Since then, the capital city club has been knocked out in the last 16 twice, seven times in the first round and four times in round two. They took BVB all the way to penalties before losing in the second round last season.
