The cup interview with Matthias Grünenwald (1st Chairman of TTC immoXone Bietigheim-Bissingen) and Patrick Franziska (captain of 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT): “It really is David versus Goliath”

Third-tier side TTC immoXone Bietigheim-Bissingen and Champions League winners 1. FC Saarbrücken are set to face off in one of the most lopsided fixtures in German cup history at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg. In this interview, Bietigheim-Bissingen’s 1st Chairman Matthias Grünenwald and Saarbrücken’s international player Patrick Franziska discuss this fixture, the rules of the cup and put the event into context.

Matthias Grünenwald, your team from third-tier side TTC immoXone Bietigheim-Bissingen will face triple winners 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT at the start of the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg. Could this be described as the mother of all David versus Goliath matches?

Matthias Grünenwald: You could certainly see it that way, when the team from the lowest division is playing against the Champions League winners. Saarbrücken will probably be fielding their strongest line-up, whereas we won’t be yet due to our later start to the season. Yes, it really is David versus Goliath.

Patrick Franziska, have you ever been the clear favourites with a team as you are in this round of 16 match, playing for the reigning triple champions 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT against a third-division side?

Patrick Franziska: There’s no question that we’re the big favourites in this match. But we’ve been in a similar situation before, as we also played a third-division side in the quarter-finals against TuS Celle back in 2017.

What were the reactions in Bietigheim-Bissingen when the draw was announced, revealing the clash against Patrick Franziska and co.?

Matthias Grünenwald: Once it became clear from the circumstances that we’d be playing Saarbrücken, we immediately checked who we’d be facing in the quarter-finals. No, seriously: we’re looking forward to the match, partly because, thanks to our partnership with Saarbrücken’s kit supplier, it’s a bit like a family reunion. It’s going to be a truly wonderful experience for us in any case. Of course, I also hope that Saarbrücken field their strongest line-up, that Patrick and Hugo actually play, so that we get to take on these absolute top stars and prove ourselves accordingly.

Last season, Saarbrücken only secured their place in the Liebherr Cup Final4 in the quarter-finals against Union Velbert – then bottom of the second division – in the final doubles match. Are the cup’s own quirks a topic of discussion within your team ahead of the match against Nuremberg?

Patrick Franziska: We saw once again in Velbert just how quickly things can change. Many players are now very, very strong, so everything has to be played out first. In matches like this, it’s always important to be on your game right from the start and to show that you’re determined to live up to your role as favourites. That’s what we’re focusing on.

Matthias Grünenwald, do Saarbrücken’s struggles in Velbert last year give you realistic hopes that the cup will follow its own rules?

Matthias Grünenwald: Yes, it was a close call for Saarbrücken in Velbert. But we don’t have a player like Velbert did last year in their own hall – Wim Verdonschot. That’s why I think that, unlike in football or other team sports, in our sport – which relies on individual players – a surprise is highly unlikely. If you’re clearly outclassed in the individual positions, it’s rather difficult to get anything out of the match. But even if it looks like a clear-cut result, we’ll of course give it our all.

Patrick Franziska, your club’s squad strategy – featuring two Champions League wildcards – suggests that the Champions League is your team’s primary objective for the first season following a major squad overhaul. The Cup, on the other hand, offers the quickest route to a title. How important is this competition for Saarbrücken as defending champions, particularly this season?

Patrick Franziska: I wouldn’t say that the Champions League is our top priority. After all, we’ve already had Truls Möregardh in our Champions League squad for the past two years, and we’re not yet sure how often Oh Junsung will play. He’s intended as a backup, because we all have so many matches and tournaments to play. That’s why we’re trying to go far in every competition and be in contention for the titles, even though we know that Düsseldorf are, of course, the big favourites this season.
For us, this isn’t specifically geared towards the Champions League; rather, the Cup is actually the shortest route to a title, and that’s why the Cup – in inverted commas – is also the ‘easiest’ title, because it’s the quickest way to reach the finish line. But that applies to all teams, and that’s why we’ll give it our all to qualify for the Final4.

When would the trip to Nuremberg be considered a success – or even a major triumph – for Bietigheim-Bissingen?

Matthias Grünenwald: Just being there will be a fantastic experience. It’s also something we’re really looking forward to. But we’re not proud of it just yet, because we haven’t achieved anything to deserve it. We’re proud of having won the German team championship with our U15 side last season – that was down to our hard work day in, day out in the hall – but as for Nuremberg, we’re simply full of anticipation.

Does the new Grand Opening format, with the round of 16 and quarter-finals taking place over a single weekend, change the way you prepare for the cup?

Patrick Franziska: Having everything in one weekend – that’s good, at least for us players, and it certainly doesn’t make it any harder for us. I think it actually helps you prepare better for such a big event, including getting used to the conditions on site with the tables and balls. In my opinion, it’s also great for everyone to have all the players together in one place.

Matthias Grünenwald, how important is taking part in the Grand Opening for your club?

Matthias Grünenwald: For us, it’s an experience right now; we can get a taste of what it’s like to be part of such a big event. Perhaps we’ll get a taste for it and set our sights on making it there more often under our own steam. In the medium term, our aim is to reach the second division and perhaps, as an ambitious second-division side, to make a leap like that one day. If we were then to qualify for the Grand Opening, that would truly be another massive highlight.

Patrick Franziska, you’ve already won four cup titles yourself. Which moment in the cup is particularly special to you?

Patrick Franziska: All the cup victories were wonderful, of course. But if I had to pick one out, I’d say the 2021/2022 title. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic, so no spectators were allowed in the hall, but it was shortly after my wedding, and what’s more, we’d felt we were already out after the semi-final against Post SV Mühlhausen, yet we still managed to pull it off in the final against Düsseldorf. For these reasons, 2022 stands out most in my memory, despite all the other titles, which were also wonderful.

Matthias Grünenwald and Patrick Franziska, thank you very much for the interview.

Florian Manzke

Featured images above: Patrick Franziska of 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT (Photo: BeLaSportfoto) and Matthias Grünenwald (Photo: TTC immoXone Bietigheim-Bissingen website)