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Everything was wet: football was out of the question in Saarbrücken
Photo: Sebastian Bach / Football News Saarland / IMAGO
The DFB Cup quarter-final between third division football team 1. FC Saarbrücken and Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach has been canceled due to the pitch being unplayable. Those responsible around referee Florian Badstübner decided this a few minutes before the planned kick-off on Wednesday evening. Heavy rainfall had damaged the lawn and there is no functioning drainage system in Ludwigspark.
Helpers had previously tried for hours to clear the playing field of water using leaf blowers. “Of course there will be play,” said Saarbrücken coach Rüdiger Ziehl optimistically just an hour before the planned start. After both teams had warmed up, the decision was made not to play the game.
At the end of October, Saarbrücken's third division game against Dynamo Dresden was canceled after the first half because the pitch was unplayable. The draw for the semi-finals in the ZDF “sportstudio” will take place as planned on Saturday evening (11 p.m.) using a placeholder ticket. A catch-up date is now being sought for the outstanding quarter-final duel.
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