It’s also about money: From this Friday onwards, the clubs in the DFB Cup will not only be playing for the sporting success of moving into the next round – they will also be fighting for the bonuses from the German Football Association. Each of the 64 first-round participants will receive the fixed amount of EUR 215,600. In the second main round, each club collects 431,200 euros. There is 862,400 euros each for the round of 16.

Overall, the DFB pays out 69 million euros from the first round to the semi-finals. “In the first round, the premium increases by three percent compared to the previous season,” said the association.

It gets really lucrative after the round of 16 games, with millions even waving: Participation in the quarter-finals flushes 1,724,800 euros into the club coffers. The four semi-finalists will receive 3,449,600 euros. In addition, there is income from the live broadcasts, which are determined in the knockout rounds. The award for the participants in the final on May 25th in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium has not yet been decided.