Head coach Ole Werner: “It definitely isn’t easy to be up against a third-division side in the first round. Viktoria Köln are a very experienced, tough team. We want to do our job as the favourites and advance to the next round. We’re looking forward to the challenge and the competition.” 

Captain Marco Friedl: “It’s a very interesting draw. They have been playing at a consistently strong level in the 3. Liga for a few years now. Of course, we’re the favourites, but we saw in Cottbus last season how we made things tough for ourselves. That’s why we need to be fully focused from the first to the final minute and give it 100%.”

Göz Atın

Veljkovic and Njinmah back on the training pitch

“The first goal is always special”

Jung dealing with adductor issue, Malatini given the all-clear

Niclas Füllkrug: “An opponent from the third division is always challenging, and is never an easy task in the Pokal. You cannot underestimate any of your opponents and we will need to be fully prepared in order to be in a good position to win the game.” 

Clemens Fritz, head of first-team football: “A third-tier side, small stadium, firey atmosphere. Last year in Cottbus, we saw that it’s not an easy thing to do. We cannot afford to have any doubts about our performance and allow our opponents into the game. We’re travelling to Cologne to face a strong side and are up for the challenge. The important thing is that the boys are fired up for the game.” 

FC 08 Homburg – SV Darmstadt 98

Hallescher FC – SpVgg Greuther Fürth 

SV Sandhausen – Hannover 96

VfL Osnabrück – 1. FC Köln

SV Atlas Delmenhorst – FC St. Pauli

FV Illertissen – Fortuna Düsseldorf 

Makkabi Berlin – VfL Wolfsburg 

FC Rot-Weiß Koblenz – 1. FC Kaiserslautern

SpVgg Unterhaching – FC Augsburg

Rostocker FC – 1. FC Heidenheim 

SC Preußen Münster – FC Bayern München 

SSV Jahn Regensburg – 1. FC Magdeburg

Energie Cottbus – SC Paderborn

FC Oberneuland – 1. FC Nürnberg

VfB Lübeck – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 

TSG Balingen – VfB Stuttgart 

TSV Schott Mainz – Borussia Dortmund 

Rot-Weiß Essen – Hamburger SV

SV Elversberg – FSV Mainz 05 

1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig – Eintracht Frankfurt

FC Astoria Walldorf – 1. FC Union Berlin 

FC Viktoria Köln – SV Werder Bremen

First round: 11th-14th August 2023

Second round: 31st October-1st November 2023

Round of 16: 5th-6th December 2023

Quarterfinal: 30th-31st January, 6th-7th February 2024

Semi-final: 2nd-3rd April 2024

Final: 25th May 2024

3rd/4th July: Performance tests

5th July, 14:30 CEST: Return to training

9th July, 15:30 CEST: Friendly vs. SV Drochtersen/Assel (Verden)

16th July, 15:00 CEST: Friendly vs. VfB Oldenburg (Westerstede)

19th July – 29th July: Training camp in Zillertal

11th-14th August: First-round DFB-Pokal match

18th-20th August: Bundesliga matchday 1