Jan Kristiansen (centre) scored the decisive goal in the 2007 DFB Cup final for Nuremberg.Image: www.imago-images.de / Zinc
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When the DFB Cup quarter-finals between Nuremberg and Stuttgart kick off on Wednesday evening (6 p.m.), two problem children of German football will meet in the Max Morlock Stadium.
Although Nuremberg is in 13th place in the 2nd Bundesliga, it is only three points ahead of Regensburg in the relegation zone. In the next eight league games, “Glubb” has to be careful not to slip further down.
Stuttgart, on the other hand, plays one level higher in the Bundesliga, is in last place with 20 points and five points behind the saving bank. There is a risk of relegation to the 2nd division, at the beginning of the week VfB parted ways with coach Bruno Labbadia and took Sebastian Hoeneß.
For both clubs, the cup quarter-finals are an opportunity to create a spirit of optimism with a win – at the same time, more than three million euros would flow into the club coffers. Stuttgart would be in the semifinals for the first time since 2013. Nürnberg even for the first time since 2007. At that time, the Franconians made it into the final in Berlin, where they met Stuttgart of all places and defeated VfB 3:2 in extra time.
Rerun of the 2007 cup final between Nuremberg and Stuttgart
Martin Haltermann was one of those who followed the game from the Nuremberg bench. He was press spokesman for FCN for nine years and has been working in the same position for MSV Duisburg since 2010. Haltermann has consistently positive memories of the cup triumph.
“It’s an incredible dream for anyone who gets to witness something like this,” he told watson, adding: “Nobody should have expected that – it was a dream that came true for an incredible number of people.”
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Nuremberg’s path to the final was anything but easy and confident. In the first round, the FCN trembled against the then Oberliga club Cloppenburg with a 1:0. The Franconians could have been knocked out against the second division teams Paderborn (2:1 aet) and Unterhaching (2:1 iE), just like in the quarter-finals against Bundesliga team Hannover (4:2 iE).
“On the way to Berlin there was only one sovereign game. That was the 4-0 win against Frankfurt in the semifinals,” said Haltermann, describing the cup season at the time. At the same time he emphasizes that he considers it normal that a cup winner has to experience one or two nail-biters before he can celebrate the triumph.
Press spokesman Martin Haltermann (left) and coach Hans Meyer worked together in Nuremberg.Bild: imago images / Weckelmann
During a nail-biting game, the goalkeeper at the time, Daniel Klewer, “did push-ups non-stop” during the extra-time break, explains Haltermann. To this day, the spokesman does not know why.
Another curiosity stuck in his mind to this day: “The 119th minute in the quarter-finals against Hannover will always be remembered, when Daniel Klewer came on for our goalkeeper Raphael Schäfer, only to save successfully on penalties. Had, would, if – but didn’t go wrong.”
A few years later, Mike Büskens copied the trick and replaced substitute keeper Jasmin Fejzic in the DFB Cup semi-final with Greuther Fürth against Dortmund shortly before the end of extra time. The problem: Dortmund scored the winning goal through İlkay Gündoğan before the penalty shoot-out. Fejzic looked unhappy about it. The ball bounced off the post to his back, then went into the goal. Büskens got malice afterwards.
1. FC Nuremberg: Legendary coach Meyer with a special speech
Things went well for Nürnberg in 2007 up until the final. There it came to a duel with the Swabians, who had secured the title in the Bundesliga just a week before. “Stuttgart may have been champions, but we won both league games comfortably 3-0 and 4-1,” Haltermann told watson. However, he didn’t notice anything about the mood within the team in the final week.
The fans celebrated Hans Meyer. Scarves were even made to celebrate the coach.Bild: imago images / Contrast
“It was a lot of work. Lots of 16-hour days with multiple phone charges. I was pumped with adrenaline. The hour on the plane the day before the final was pure relaxation because the mobile phone was off for a moment,” he says almost 16 years later. He would have made many phone calls to journalists and the media, while also dealing with organizational inquiries. “It never ends taken.”
Haltermann still had work to do on the day of the final, and spoke briefly to Hans Meyer during the morning sweat in the Poststadion in Berlin – presumably to talk about upcoming TV interviews during the broadcast.
“The team was on the pitch, I was standing with Hans Meyer and he said, ‘What kind of dump is this?’ I asked him if he didn’t know the Poststadion, which was being renovated in 2007. Then he said in his inimitable way: ‘You know I come from the GDR. I don’t know anything that’s in the west.’ So I went on a short historical excursion and explained to him that Nuremberg became German champions there in the pre-war period.”
According to Haltermann, Meyer then made sure that that was true. After the spokesman said yes, Meyer whistled. “Then he called the team and asked the players if they weren’t surprised that he would train in such a dump – only to then explain that he had chosen the pitch on purpose because Nuremberg had already won a title here.”
The result after that is history: Meyer’s bluff was successful, Nuremberg won in overtime and won their last title – until today.
“I will always wish ‘Glubb’ luck and success – without being able to judge seriously how the game will end.”
Martin Haltermann on his affection for 1. FC Nürnberg
Ex-press secretary only stayed at the party for an hour
For the celebration itself, however, Haltermann was too tired from the work-intensive week: “I wasn’t there long, I was exhausted and walked through empty Berlin for an hour. I needed a bit of rest because nothing worked anymore.” However, he has special memories of the time after winning the title.
The native of Münster proudly reports: “A few weeks after winning the cup, the city organized a wonderful small exhibition with the cup in the town hall. In the four weeks of this exhibition, I went there a few times with family and friends and each time I had to take photos with club fans who recognized me. It still gives me goosebumps today.”
Haltermann still has contact with the club from Franconia. “I was also able to get to know so many older club players like Dieter Nüssing, Reinhold Hintermaier or Stefan Reisch and all the other legends. What kind of people – this club doesn’t let you go. I will always wish ‘Glubb’ luck and success – without being able to seriously judge how the game will end.”describes Haltermann and makes it clear who he is keeping his fingers crossed for on Wednesday.
