Die DFB-Pokal-Übergabe in Berlin mit Oliver Mintzlaff und Perry Bräutigam

Now on the screen, we have the cup live for you. Traditionally, the Cup and Over. Last year we had to interrupt the tradition, like so much we had to learn anew. This pandemic turned everything upside down. It fits the cup because no game is like any other. This year is no year like any other. Changes have shaped our lives and football. We have learned a lot and adapted. Here at the Cup and Over today, we are in a very small circle with lots of distance and partly digital. We are glad to hold the event again. It hasn't been a good year. We set out to return to normalcy, a bit different. We hope that next year we can do the Cup and Over as always, with emotions and many encounters in Berlin, and the final hopefully in a full stadium. Despite the difficult year, we are proud to have finished the season. That was not a given. So we look at what we have achieved, not what we miss. Football has accompanied us and is capable of so much. We have experienced great football moments in a special competition that stands for the unity of football, for professionals and amateurs. Everyone is involved. That's why we are here to open the final. Let's look back at the highlights of the season.

Great moments and great football. It is tradition that the reigning cup winner brings the cup back to Berlin to hand it over to the city and the governing mayor, so it can go to the new winner. I am very pleased that you are here and bring the cup back.

Welcome, even if FC Bayern cannot defend the title this year, I am glad you are here. You have held the cup four times, won with Bayern once. You brought something to remember your cup moments. Playing a final is always special. What are your special cup moments? Clearly the first cup win in 1997 with VfB Stuttgart. That was my last game for Stuttgart, and we won 2-0 against Energie Cottbus, I scored both goals. It was the best gift I could give the fans. How was it to celebrate with the team and then say goodbye? It wasn't nice because you win, but the next day you are no longer friends, you become opponents again. But the moment was beautiful. Later with Bayern I won the cup three more times. This year Bayern is not in the final, so others have to do it. What do you expect from this year's final? A difficult game, two good teams, Leipzig against Dortmund. I look forward to it. It's a special year with the pandemic, not a final like any other. You live in Brazil now? I was briefly in Brazil but came back quickly. How did you experience the time in your home country? It's not nice in Brazil with the pandemic, not under control. Many people are dying, especially the poor. Our president must think and vaccinate quickly. It's good that you are healthy in Germany. Now we have the official part where the cup is handed over. We have two more guests: the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, and my colleague Heike Ullrich, the first female deputy secretary general of the DFB and director of the DFB-Pokal. Welcome.

The first cup win in 1997 with Stuttgart was the most special. I scored both goals in the final. It was the best gift for the fans. Saying goodbye after that was hard because you become opponents again. But winning with Bayern later was also great. This final will be tough, Leipzig and Dortmund are both strong. I hope for a good game.

Now we have the official handover. The cup must stay here. We welcome Michael Müller and Heike Ullrich to the stage. Mr. Müller, the cup final is back in Berlin. Your colleague Lauterbach predicted a good summer. How great is your hope that it will be a good summer with more encounters? Karl Lauterbach can't go wrong, we see him every evening. He is often right with his forecasts. That optimism gives courage. I hope we have the perspective to allow more in summer. Several things play into our hands: infection numbers are falling, measures are working, we are entering summer where more is possible outdoors, and vaccination is progressing. That is key. Everything else is just a bridge until we have more vaccinated. We are making good progress, with a million vaccinations per day. So I am optimistic for summer, especially for sports.

Yes, several things play into our hands. Infection numbers are falling because people are behaving sensibly and measures are working. We are entering summer where more is possible outdoors. Vaccination is progressing, that is the key. We have had days with a million vaccinations. So I am optimistic that we can allow more for sports in summer.

Heike, let's look back at the Corona season. What achievements have the clubs made, especially in the lower leagues? I think everyone made a special effort. It was a real challenge to play football under hygiene concepts for all athletes. The season was extremely special. Normally we start with the cup and end with the final in Berlin. This time everything was different. We played on a Thursday, normally the whole weekend is in Berlin. Difficult decisions were made, eventually without spectators. That was bitter. But the passion on the field was the same, even from small clubs. It was a high learning curve for everyone. Thank you. Now we have to substitute. Susanne, thank you for being here. Now Andreas Geisel, Senator for Interior and Sport from Berlin, joins us.

I think everyone made a special effort. It was a real challenge to play under hygiene concepts. The season was extremely special. We played on a Thursday, normally the whole weekend is in Berlin. Difficult decisions were made, eventually without spectators. That was bitter. But the passion on the field was the same, even from small clubs. It was a high learning curve for everyone.

Welcome, thank you. The DFB-Pokal stands for the unity of football, especially in Corona times. Nowhere is the unity between amateurs and professionals as strong as in the cup. Every club can qualify. The DFB-Pokal is like an anti-Super League. Every game is a final. The final is the highlight of the season. Football shows how emotional it can be. Mr. Müller, when we look at the changes this year and what sport has achieved, what do you observe from a political perspective?

The cuts were severe. For professionals, the sport lives from the fans, the emotions, the excitement. That is missing. It also has economic consequences. In grassroots sports, it is important to promote youth. Sport is crucial for our community, especially for children and young people. In Berlin, we have difficult communities. Sport is a point where people can come together. That has fallen away. School, culture, sport have all fallen away. We have helped as much as we could, with funds for professionals and grassroots. But it is important that we move forward with spectators. I am optimistic that we can enable things step by step.

Berlin, a exciting game. The cry 'Berlin, Berlin, we're going to Berlin' is an honor for us. We try to be poker-faced, but we are incredibly proud. It is a great honor to be good hosts. On Thursday I am neutral and wish both teams good luck. Thank you to the DFB for always coming to Berlin. Berlin, Berlin, we're going to Berlin. That does the heart good.

Now we have talked so much about the final. Let's hear from the finalists. Thank you for being here. Heike, you can stay a bit. I have a question for Heike outside the topic but relevant. There is a lot of talk about women in football. For the first time, two women represent the DFB at the Cup and Over. You have been involved for a long time and have moved things. What positive developments do you see and where do you wish for more dynamism?

Dynamism is always welcome. I have been professionally involved in football for 25 years. My motto is from Horst Hrubesch: stop talking, just do it. I was allowed to do it. We see changes in clubs and associations, especially at the professional level. In voluntary structures, we still have potential. We need to take responsibility, set up leadership programs, and consciously address women to take on responsibility. These are the usual instruments. Soon it will be natural that two women represent the DFB. The next generation will enter this development naturally. I also talk to fan representatives, and many groups are now led by women. So I believe this will develop well in the coming years. I look forward to not being something special on stage anymore.

Now we come to the finalists. I welcome the representatives of RB Leipzig: Oliver Mintzlaff and Florian Bräutigam. Welcome.

Would you like to say something about innovations? Are you overwhelmed?

You are not alone in the final. Dortmund is also here. I am glad that Dortmund sent two representatives: Hans-Joachim Watzke and Karl-Heinz Riedle. Please come to the stage.

We also need some emotion. The game against Holstein Kiel was great. Some expected us to lose, but the boys solved it superbly. We have a tradition: when we reach the semi-final, we go to the final. We lost the final in 2015 and 2017? Actually we won in 2017. But this year we are ready.

I want to come back to a point. This year is special. May 13 is not only the final day but also the day football restarted a year ago. Leipzig and Dortmund have been very engaged, also financially supported. Why was it natural for you to get involved and give something back?

As Oliver just said, we sat together with Bayern, Leverkusen, and Leipzig and said we cannot do this. Then we supported the third division and the women's Bundesliga, which had massive problems. We developed that together. It was a good story and we received very positive feedback.

It was vital for the women's Bundesliga clubs. Even though most are licensed clubs, implementing the hygiene concept as required in the first start would not have been possible for the women's clubs without that support. We were able to influence the development of the route concept together for men and women, but the implementation had to happen in the clubs. So a huge thank you on behalf of all clubs in the third division and the Flyeralarm Women's Bundesliga. It was simply vital to continue and finish the season.

Another important element that has been missing all year: the fans. At BVB, fans play a special role. How does it feel to reach the final and play without fans?

Everyone is looking forward to this game. It goes over a whole year to qualify, and then to play without fans is bitter. I remember the final in 2017 where almost 100,000 BVB fans were in Berlin. It was an incredible atmosphere. It's a great city. The fans want to come back. It's very bitter, but we have to accept it. We have to drive around Breitscheidplatz to avoid seeing how empty it is on final day. But I agree with the governing mayor: we have managed it well so far despite all the burdens. We have to push through on the last meters. It's a drama, but rationally it's probably right. From August we should accelerate again.

Accelerating is the right word. Leipzig, second final in three years. How great is the longing to take the cup home this time?