...the last Werder team to have played in Offenbach was recently honoured? Many of the Europa League heroes, who celebrated their achievement at Fan Day on its 25th anniversary, also played in the third round of the DFB-Pokal in the 1993/94 season. In that game, Werder lined up against Kickers Offenbach in the Stadion am Bieberer Berg. With the sides tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes, with Wynton Rufer getting on the scoresheet for Werder, the game went to penalties. In the end, Rufer, Votava, Legat, Basler and Borowka held their nerve to win the game for Werder 6-4 on penalties, who went on that year to win the coveted trophy.
...that a Werder team has already played Kickers this season? The clash was, of course, not between the professional teams, but actually between the clubs’ U23 sides. In the second game of the current third-division season, the two teams lined up against each other in the flyeralarm Arena. After Kohfeldt’s Werder side took the lead through Jacobsen, Kickers equalised just before the final whistle courtesy of Baumann. Alexander Nouri has definitely been getting some tips off Florian Kohfeldt: “Naturally we’ve had a chat. But regardless, you can never forget that cup games are unique.”
…during his playing days, head coach Alexander Nouri knocked Werder’s sporting director out of the cup? About 17 years ago, the two men faced each other in the DFB-Pokal. On one side, Alexander Nouri lined up for then third-division side KFC Uerdingen 05, while Frank Baumann was in the opposing SV Werder team. After the opening goal from Werder’s Tim Borowski, Schmugge equalised for Uerdingen from the spot. Eventually it went to a penalty shootout, where the underdogs from Uerdingen came out on top. KFC could, at that time, be happy in the knowledge that they had a lot of young talent in their squad. One of these talented youngsters was, incidentally, called Markus Feldhoff, better known today as Werder’s assistant coach.
