SC Paderborn 07 are this season’s surprise package in the DFB-Pokal. After wins over second-tier sides FC St. Pauli (2-1), VfL Bochum (2-0) and FC Ingolstadt 04 (1-0), the current 3. Liga leaders found themselves in the hat for the quarterfinal draw, which saw them paired with none other than German record league and cup winners FC Bayern München for Tuesday’s tie (18:30 CET). The most remarkable thing about their season, however, is that they were supposed to be spending it in the Regionalliga. It was only through TSV 1860 München’s failure to secure the necessary licence that Paderborn retained their place in the third division.
Steffen Baumgart’s side have grabbed that lifeline with both hands and are not only turning heads in the cup, but currently sit four points clear at the top of the table. In an interview with DFB.de, the SCP coach and former Bundesliga player talks about the meeting with FC Bayern, his team’s development and the significance of a coffee stirrer.
DFB.de: Hand on heart, Mr. Baumgart, do you have to pinch yourself when you think about being in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal with SC Paderborn 07, about to take on FC Bayern München?
Steffen Baumgart: Not really. The team have earned it with hard-fought wins against St. Pauli, Bochum and Ingolstadt. There’s a reason we’re in the quarterfinals, but of course playing Bayern is anything but just another game.
DFB.de: Is it already the ‘game of the year’ for SC Paderborn?
Baumgart: Not for me. Every single 3. Liga match is too important in terms of us reaching our goals for us to say that. However, not every club gets the chance to pit themselves against FC Bayern München in a competitive match, and we’re very much looking forward to it.
DFB.de: Were you concerned that the team may lose focus on their league games after being drawn against a side like FC Bayern in the cup?
Baumgart: It’s not something we could rule out, but we’ve done everything we can to make sure that the cup game hasn’t entered the players’ minds too early. It was obviously a topic for discussion among the players after the draw, but we haven’t talked about it since, we’ve simply concentrated on our league matches. It’s worked well, and our focus has only been on the cup clash since full time against Sonnenhof Großaspach on Saturday.
SC Paderborn 07 are this season’s surprise package in the DFB-Pokal. After wins over second-tier sides FC St. Pauli (2-1), VfL Bochum (2-0) and FC Ingolstadt 04 (1-0), the current 3. Liga leaders found themselves in the hat for the quarterfinal draw, which saw them paired with none other than German record league and cup winners FC Bayern München for Tuesday’s tie (18:30 CET). The most remarkable thing about their season, however, is that they were supposed to be spending it in the Regionalliga. It was only through TSV 1860 München’s failure to secure the necessary licence that Paderborn retained their place in the third division.
Steffen Baumgart’s side have grabbed that lifeline with both hands and are not only turning heads in the cup, but currently sit four points clear at the top of the table. In an interview with DFB.de, the SCP coach and former Bundesliga player talks about the meeting with FC Bayern, his team’s development and the significance of a coffee stirrer.
DFB.de: Hand on heart, Mr. Baumgart, do you have to pinch yourself when you think about being in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal with SC Paderborn 07, about to take on FC Bayern München?
Steffen Baumgart: Not really. The team have earned it with hard-fought wins against St. Pauli, Bochum and Ingolstadt. There’s a reason we’re in the quarterfinals, but of course playing Bayern is anything but just another game.
DFB.de: Is it already the ‘game of the year’ for SC Paderborn?
Baumgart: Not for me. Every single 3. Liga match is too important in terms of us reaching our goals for us to say that. However, not every club gets the chance to pit themselves against FC Bayern München in a competitive match, and we’re very much looking forward to it.
DFB.de: Were you concerned that the team may lose focus on their league games after being drawn against a side like FC Bayern in the cup?
Baumgart: It’s not something we could rule out, but we’ve done everything we can to make sure that the cup game hasn’t entered the players’ minds too early. It was obviously a topic for discussion among the players after the draw, but we haven’t talked about it since, we’ve simply concentrated on our league matches. It’s worked well, and our focus has only been on the cup clash since full time against Sonnenhof Großaspach on Saturday.
DFB.de: Would you rather have faced a different opponent?
Baumgart: The interest in the game would certainly have been very different if we had been drawn against someone else, but it wouldn’t have changed much in terms of the challenge we face; we would have been massive underdogs against any of the other Bundesliga sides left too. We’re up against a club of the highest calibre in Bayern though.
DFB.de: Paderborn should have been relegated last season, but now you find yourselves top of the 3. Liga and playing Bayern in the quarterfinals of the DFB-Pokal. Did you ever believe that was possible?
Baumgart: To be honest, I certainly wouldn’t have ruled it out at the start of the season. Anything can happen in football. You can’t plan success. A huge part of it was bringing in players in the summer that fit our playing style. When you start to get results, you grow in confidence too. The players believe in our approach. We work hard for every step.
DFB.de: How would you describe your playing style?
Baumgart: It’s 90 minutes of high intensity. We want to be attacking high up the pitch and then get numbers forward quickly when we win the ball. We won’t change it all that much for the cup game either. You can’t beat Bayern if you just park the bus. We don’t want our DFB-Pokal quarterfinal just to be a nice experience, we want to try and progress.
DFB.de: Paderborn are the fifth third-tier side to reach the quarterfinals in the last eight years. What does that say about the league?
Baumgart: It shows the quality of the 3. Liga as a whole. The gap to the top two divisions is shrinking more and more, and it’s certainly right up there when compared with the rest of Europe in terms of the quality of football and the setup.
DFB.de: We often see you with a piece of plastic in your mouth in the dugout. What’s that about?
Baumgart: That’s a quirk of mine. I sometimes hold a coffee stirrer in my hand or in my mouth – it calms me down. It’s a bit like how some other coaches are always chewing gum.
DFB.de: You’re up against the oldest and most experienced coach in German football in Jupp Heynckes. Can you picture yourself coaching for that long?
Baumgart: Jupp Heynckes is one of the greatest coaches there is. He has experienced and achieved so much in his career. I believe that a coach’s ability is often measured by how well they perform in difficult situations. Jupp Heynckes has always adopted a matter-of-fact and considered approach. Football is a key part of my life and it will always continue to be, and I would like to still be working at 72, which would mean that I would still be fit as a fiddle at that age. Only time will tell whether I will still be a coach by then.
DFB.de: How are you preparing for the game against Bayern?
Baumgart: Just like any other game. I watched Bayern’s 4-2 win over Werder Bremen live at the stadium, and we will also do some video analysis. The team will eat together three hours before kick-off, and then it’s off to the stadium.
