- Würzburg Kickers proudly proclaim: "We have substantial potential for success"
On their champion's lap, the disheartened Würzburg Kickers received plenty of pep talks from their faithful followers. "Chin up," their football heroes' admirers echoed repeatedly. Just like half a decade ago, the Würzburg Kickers came up short in the DFB-Pokal against elite team TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, this time in a breathtaking penalty shootout, and were eliminated in the tournament's initial round.
As coach Markus Zschiesche put it following his fourth-division team's 3:5 penalty shootout defeat to the Europa League participant, "We could have pulled off something substantial. However, if you land the final blow in a match like this and truly push through, it would be phenomenal." "If we approach every game in the season with this level of resolve, we'll be tough to beat."
Power outage and own goal
The Hoffenheim players felt the vibrations. A power outage by substitute goalkeeper Luca Philipp paved the way for Würzburg's Enes Küc to put the minnows in front of 9,511 spectators as early as the 11th minute. A self-goal by Ebrahim Farahnak (18th minute) drew the Kraichgauer back into the game. Würzburg's Moritz Hannemann (100th minute) reclaimed the lead, only for Marius Bülter (107th minute) to level the score again.
"We'll carry a lot of confidence with us because you can see what we're capable of," Hannemann commented after the regional league team's impressive performance, which currently ranks eighth in the league standings. "If everyone gives their best, we can achieve great things."
The skipper falters
The Würzburg team took on Hoffenheim with determination and confidence. It was only in the penalty shootout - after extra time it had ended 2:2 - that Hoffenheim's long-unfortunate goalkeeper Philipp boldly saved against captain Dominik Meisel and dashed the cup fantasies.
Still, there was encouragement for the Kickers from their supporters. "They're right, we need to keep our chins up and move forward," Hannemann remarked after a night to remember. "But it's tough right now."
The Würzburg Kickers, despite their loss in the penalty shootout to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, received support from their faithful followers, urging them to 'chin up' and keep pushing forward. In the same tournament five years ago, the Würzburg Kickers, represented by their team 'The Wurzburg Kickers', also faced elimination against an elite team.
