DFB-Pokal: Great anticipation among German fans – interplay of favourites and underdogs

Cologne. The 2021/22 season in Germany traditionally kicks off with the first round of the DFB Cup. On behalf of Sport-Informations-Dienst (SID), the FanQ voting platform asked German football fans how much they are looking forward to the cup competition, what they expect from the upcoming season and how they see the cup as a whole in German football.
According to the flash poll, 73.7 % of the fans are looking forward to the DFB-Pokal. 85.1 % of respondents said they are cheering for the underdogs. Among other things, the different kick-off times within the cup rounds are also positively rated by 48.4 %. Only 6.0 % are in favour of excluding amateur clubs from the competition.

Der DFB-Pokal wird von 48,5 % der befragten Fans als spannender empfunden als die Bundesliga. Trotzdem wird der Bundesliga von 60,9 % der Befragten ein höherer Stellenwert als dem Pokal-Wettbewerb zugesprochen. 17,0 % sagen, der DFB-Pokal besitzt einen höheren Stellenwert als die Meisterschaft. Für 20,4 % sind die beiden Wettbewerbe gleichgestellt.

The anticipation for the DFB-Pokal is very high among .7 per cent. Only % 7.8 per cent are not looking forward to the competition. The DFB-Pokal is known for its surprises, and every season there are underdogs who prevail against bigger clubs. % 85.1 per cent of German football fans say that they get excited about these underdogs and are pleased when they achieve a surprise victory.

Overall, the cup system in Germany is viewed very positively. According to this, 74.8 % of fans consider the general match system to be good to very good. Furthermore, 48.5 % of those surveyed find the DFB-Pokal to be more exciting than the Bundesliga. 92.8 % of those surveyed deny that the DFB-Pokal should only be contested by teams from the three professional leagues. Clubs from the lower leagues therefore represent an enrichment.

Die verschiedenen Anstoßzeiten der Pokalspiele, welche auf mehrere Tage verteilt sind, werden von 48,4 % positiv bewertet, während 23,9 % die Ansetzungen negativ bewerten.

The fan favourites for the cup are the record winners, FC Bayern Munich (29.4 % per cent of the vote) and the reigning cup winners, Borussia Dortmund (25.2 % per cent of the vote).

FanQ is the “Voice of the Fans.” It is the only football app where fan opinion is the main focus. The experienced FanQ editorial team publishes daily updated polls in the app and provides participants with all the important background information they need. Fans can vote in the app about their favourite clubs and all relevant football topics. The voting app is interactive. Fans can exchange opinions, interact socially, and ask their own questions. This creates a representative mood reflecting the state of football. Furthermore, FanQ creates long-term studies to research complex topics. The football app is free. It can be easily downloaded from the App Store. FanQ is based in Cologne.

If you have any editorial queries about the survey results, please contact us.

FanQ founder

Dr Joachim Lammert
joachim.lammert@fanq-app.com

Head of Research

Lukas Kopfer
lukas.kopfer@fanq-app.com