As of: February 7, 2024, 9:52 p.m
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A player stands on the lawn before the game.
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
The cup quarter-final between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach cannot take place on Wednesday because the pitch is unplayable.
The search for a new date begins.
Saarbrücken - The hanging game lasted longer than a normal football game.
For almost two hours, many helpers tried to use leaf blowers to clear the water from the lawn for the cup quarter-final between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
But seven minutes before the scheduled kick-off at 8:45 p.m., the game was canceled because the pitch was unplayable after continuous rain.
“I wanted to give it a chance,” said referee Florian Badstübner.
“Saarbrücken tried everything to free the place from the water, but unfortunately they didn’t manage it.
When warming up, it was clear how broken the place was.” The risk of injury was therefore too high.
“If that's the case, we can't play,” said Badstübner: “We didn't want to blow the whistle and after ten minutes it was clear we couldn't play.
And then someone gets injured, then I have a huge problem.
That’s why the risk was just too high for me.”
Until then, many things had been normal.
The teams went to warm up, the Saarbrücken players played their club song, the stadium announcer announced the lineups.
“The process was completely fine because you have to try everything.
In the district league the game would probably have been canceled much quicker," said Gladbach's sports director Roland Virkus: "The boys came in and said there are places that, even with the best will in the world, won't work.
And the weather conditions are expected to get even worse.”
According to the DFB, a catch-up date should be announced as quickly as possible.
“Both don’t play internationally, so I think we’ll find a date,” said Virkus: “Of course you have to see how long such conditions last so that the pitch can be played on.” Saarbrücken’s sports director Jürgen Luginger explained: “We’re trying to repeat it as soon as possible.
But there’s still rain forecast for the next few days, so I don’t know if next week is an option.”
Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and second division teams Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Kaiserslautern had previously qualified for the semi-finals.
There will be a double ticket with both names in the draw on Saturday at 11 p.m. in the ZDF “Sportstudio”.
This could lead to an exchange of home rights after the game has been played, because Saarbrücken would definitely enjoy this as a third division team, in contrast to first division team Gladbach.
The spectators acknowledged the cancellation with whistles, and the Gladbach supporters fired off pyrotechnics that they had brought with them.
However, there was mostly understanding among those involved.
“The ball doesn’t roll, the risk of injury is too great.
That made sense,” said Luginger.
Gladbach coach Gerardo Seoane said: “It is the right decision, even if it is a shame for the spectators who wanted to see a spectacle.
But that wasn’t possible today.”
When both delegations arrived at the stadium around two hours before the scheduled kick-off time, they were very surprised.
Although it had rained all day in Saarland, most people hadn't expected the place to be so affected.
So the hustle and bustle quickly began on the sidelines, there were many discussions.
Official lineups were published 70 minutes before the scheduled kick-off time.
“We have to wait and see what happens,” said Mönchengladbach’s sports director Nils Schmadtke and added with a laugh: “We definitely don’t have the rubber boots with us.” When substitute goalkeeper Jan Olschowsky stood in front of him after warming up, completely dirty, Schmadtke said: “My Son should come home like this..."
Curious: At the end of October, the third division game against Dynamo Dresden in Saarbrücken was canceled because the pitch was unplayable after heavy rain.
The second round cup game against FC Bayern Munich three days later was therefore hanging in the balance for a long time.
The game was ultimately able to be played, with Saarbrücken sensationally knocking the record champions and record cup winners out of the competition with a 2-1 score.
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One person was disappointed about the cancellation, but also saw something positive in the cancellation: Patrick Herrmann, professional from Gladbach and native of Saarland.
“Let’s come again,” said the ex-national player and was looking forward to another visit home.
dpa