05ers head to Brandenburg in the DFB-Pokal

1. FSV Mainz 05 will head deep into eastern Germany for their first competitive fixture of the new season between 21st and 24th August, with VfB Krieschow awaiting the 05ers. The draw for the first round of the 2026/27 DFB-Pokal was made on Saturday evening at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The club from a village of just 490 inhabitants finished the 2025/26 season eighth in the fifth-tier NOFV-Oberliga Süd. Exact dates and kick-off times for the 32 ties will be confirmed later in the summer break. The match is expected to be played at Energie Cottbus’ Stadion der Freundschaft.

Mainz sporting director Niko Bungert gave his reaction to the draw: “In a way, this tie sums up what makes the DFB-Pokal special. We’re facing a small club for whom this will be a huge occasion. Fixtures like this are what the competition is all about. As a Bundesliga side, our job is to live up to our favourites’ tag in what is sure to be an emotional atmosphere. That makes it an exciting challenge, and we certainly won’t make the mistake of underestimating it. Of course, we would have liked our fans to have a less adventurous away journey for the first competitive game of the new season, but we’ll take it as it comes.”