Overview
- The 2026/27 DFB‑Pokal first round began this weekend with Bundesliga sides traveling to lower‑tier opponents, including VfB Stuttgart at Hansa Rostock and Eintracht Frankfurt facing SC St. Tönis.
- Each club in round one is guaranteed €211,886 and prize money doubles every round up to €4.32 million for the winner, a structure that can materially change the budgets of amateur and semi‑pro clubs.
- Smaller hosts have made temporary stadium upgrades to meet demand, with VfB Krieschow adding mobile stands and SC St. Tönis relocating its tie to Krefeld’s Grotenburg to handle large crowds.
- Broadcast arrangements extend reach and revenue for underdogs: Sky will show all 63 cup games live and RTL will air several first‑round matches free‑to‑air, including 1. FC Saarbrücken vs. Hertha BSC.
- Separately, SPORT BILD reported this week that HSG Nordhorn‑Lingen faces a roughly €1.4 million shortfall and an alleged imminent insolvency warning by its new CEO; the Handball‑Bundesliga has set strict licence conditions and HSG Krefeld has filed an interim injunction at the Dortmund court seeking Nordhorn’s 2. Bundesliga place with the matter still pending.