- Klose warns but optimistic: clubs need to win the cup
Miroslav Klose still remembers a close call in the DFB-Pokal in 2007, when his FC Bayern team nearly crashed out in the first round against Wacker Burghausen. A Klose goal sent the game into extra time, but the underdog was close to an upset in the penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Oliver Kahn saved the favorites with two saves. "You went through and eventually became double winners," Klose summarized today. "That was a game that showed: It starts in the first round, and you have to be ready from the get-go."
Klose is trying to instill this mindset in his 1. FC Nürnberg players as they travel to 1. FC Saarbrücken for their Pokal opener on Sunday (13:00 CET/Sky). "We are warned," said Klose. The Franconians don't even have to look back to 2007 to sense the danger. Last season, the surprise team from Saarland knocked out FC Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, only to be stopped in the semi-finals.
Klose wants his team to play like favorites
Klose believes that the game will be decided by a tough fight. "Such games are never determined by tactics," he said. It will be about "a lot of mentality, attitude, maybe a set piece - that's how knockout games and the Pokal are."
Klose's arrival at Valznerweiher sparked great euphoria before the season, with the World Cup record goalscorer expected to elevate FCN to a new level. The 2:3 defeat to Karlsruhe in the Zweitliga opener was quickly forgotten with the 3:1 comeback win against Schalke 04.
Klose wants to build on that second-half performance. Saarbrücken could be a tough test, but Klose emphasizes, "We know we are the Zweitligist, and we want to play like it."
FCN's love for the DFB-Pokal is evident, having reached the quarter-finals in the 2022/23 season, losing to VfB Stuttgart (0:1), and the round of 16 the previous season, losing to Kaiserslautern (0:2).
In the Pokal, Christian Mathenia will be in goal instead of Jan Reichert, who has given his consent for Mathenia to play all Pokal games. "He deserves it," said Klose about the 32-year-old. "He sets an absolute example here with us."
Midfielder Jens Castrop is out due to an infection, and the status of right-back Jannik Hofmann is uncertain due to muscular issues. However, Danilo Soares and Caspar Jander, who were previously injured, have returned to team training and have good chances of playing in Saarbrücken.
Klose recalls the Saarbrücken team's impressive run in the previous season, knocking out three top-tier teams before being halted in the semi-finals. Despite this, he remains confident, stating, "We know we are the Zweitligist, and we want to show that by performing well on the Saar bridges."
The 1. FC Nürnberg's Pokal journey continues with the Saar bridges as their battleground. In previous seasons, they reached the quarter-finals and the round of 16, showcasing their love for the competition.
