VfB Stuttgart End Bielefeld’s Fairytale Run To Win The DFB Pokal

Arminia Bielefeld’s fairytale run in the DFB Pokal is over. On Saturday, Bielefeld lost 4-2 to Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart in front of 75,000 fans at a fully packed Olympiastadion.

The goalscorers were Nick Woltemade (15’), Enzo Millot (22’ & 66’), and Deniz Undav (28’) in front of 75,000 fans at a fully packed Olympiastadion in Berlin. Julian Kania (83’) and Josha Vagnoman (85’ OT) scored for Bielefeld.

It could have been all very different, though. In the 12th minute, Noah Joel Sarenren Bazee received the ball inside the box. His shot beat Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nübel but hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced back into the field.

“We were lucky to not be behind at this stage,” Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß said. Three minutes later, Stuttgart star striker Woltemade broke through Bielefeld’s backline and scored the opener. It was the first of three goals for the Bundesliga club in the first half.

“Too be honest, Stuttgart was the better team,” Bielefeld head coach Mitch Kniat said after the tame. “We had a good chance to start the game. Perhaps if that one goes in. The result would have been a bit different. Stuttgart was coldblooded with their chances.”

Indeed, it was impressive how Stuttgart decoded a Bielefeld side that had eliminated one 2. Bundesliga, and four Bundesliga clubs are on their way to the German Cup final. The first victim was second-division side Hannover. Then followed first-division clubs Union Berlin (2-0), SC Freiburg (3-1), Werder Bremen (2-1), and last year’s champions Bayer Leverkusen (2-1).

In Freiburg and Leverkusen, Bielefeld beat two teams that finished in the Bundesliga’s top six this season. Freiburg, in fact, only just about missed out on finishing in the Champions League spots.

“I want to voice my respect towards Bielefeld,” Stuttgart left-back Maximilian Mittelstädt said. “They didn’t play like a third division side. It was a worthy final.”

Playing against those top teams, Bielefeld, coached by Kniat, didn’t rely on luck. Instead, Bielefeld outplayed their Bundesliga opponents. The result against Leverkusen could have been much bigger than just a 2-1 victory.

Against Stuttgart, too, Bielefeld controlled much of the ball, ending the game with 59% possession. The 3. Liga team also played (463 vs 332) and completed more passes (381 vs 259), but it felt like Stuttgart was doing this by design.

Unlike the previous Bundesliga opponents, Stuttgart boss Hoeneß seemed to have decoded Bielefeld a bit. The Swabians were happy handing over the ball and hitting Bielefeld with the counters that made Die Arminia dangerous in the previous cup rounds.

Still, it was a fine line that Stuttgart walked. What if the early Sarenren Bazee chance had gone in? What could have been possible for the third division side was highlighted in the last ten minutes when first Kania and then Vagnoman halved the lead.

For a few minutes, Stuttgart seemed to be on the brink of a late collapse. With the Bielefeld fans in their backs, Die Arminia pushed and pushed, but the third goal that would have probably seen Stuttgart collapse didn’t come. So, there was no Pokal sensation in the final round.

Still, Bielefeld’s performance this season is sensational. Two years ago, the club was on the edge of financial collapse after being relegated to the 3. Liga, but it is now back in the 2. Bundesliga after impressively winning the 3. Liga.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved,” Kniat said. “Of course, tomorrow, when we are being welcome in the cityhall, pride about what we have achieved will gloss over everything. But today is tricky.”

Furthermore, as chief commercial officer Christoph Wortmann outlined in a recent interview, Bielefeld’s run to the semifinal earned the club €7.5 million ($8.5 million). Reaching the final guarantees another €2.88 million ($3.27 million).

That money will be a significant boost for the club ahead of the 2025/26 2. Bundesliga campaign. Head coach Kniat and CFO Wortmann can now use those resources to build a competitive second division team.

“This season is motivation for us,” Kniat said. “It is motivation to do it again next season but this time to win the cup. It drives us every day.”

As for Stuttgart, the Pokal campaign rescues a somewhat disappointing season in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Although the club reached the minimum goal of finishing in the top half of the table, ninth place after finishing second the year prior. In the Champions League, Stuttgart failed to reach the knockout stages.

The Pokal helps to crown a mediocre domestic campaign. More importantly, it also secures the club a spot in Europe. “We have won it,” Hoeneß said. “Let’s just conclude that it was a great season.”

Although the Europa League is a significant step down from the Champions League financially, playing in Europe will help with recruitment and should help convince star players and in-demand head coach Hoeneß to stick around.