Stuttgart-Freiburg DFB-Pokal semifinal delayed to Thursday due to scheduling crunch

The DFB-Pokal semifinal between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg kicked off at 20:45 CEST on Thursday, a full day later than the traditional Tuesday-Wednesday slot, after Bayern Munich had already secured their place in the final with a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

The delay stemmed directly from a scheduling crunch: all three clubs — Bayern, Stuttgart and Freiburg — had played Bundesliga matches on Sunday, leaving insufficient recovery time for a Tuesday fixture. Freiburg’s simultaneous involvement in the Europa League semifinal first leg, scheduled for Thursday, further compressed the window, forcing the DFB to push the Stuttgart-Freiburg clash to Thursday evening.

While the Bayern-Leverkusen final proceeded as usual on Wednesday evening, the rescheduling meant Stuttgart and Freiburg faced each other with less than 72 hours between their last league game and the cup tie — a tight turnaround that tested squad depth and tactical flexibility.

Financial stakes outweigh the fixture quirk

Beyond the logistical headache, the match carried significant monetary weight. The winner of this semifinal earns 2.88 million euros (approximately 3.12 million US dollars) for reaching the final, with the eventual champion set to receive 4.32 million euros (about 4.68 million US dollars) plus a guaranteed spot in the Franz-Beckenbauer-Supercup.

For context, Freiburg had already secured roughly 12 million euros in European competition revenue before their first Europa League game this season — a figure that dwarfs DFB-Pokal payouts but underscores why the club views the Europa League semifinal against Sporting Braga on April 30 and May 7 as financially paramount.

For more on this story, see DFB-Pokal Semifinals Rescheduled to Wednesday and Thursday Due to Fixture Congestion.

Still, the DFB-Pokal remains lucrative: Stuttgart’s 2024-25 triumph yielded 10.8 million euros, and this season’s maximum possible earnings for the cup winner are 10.9 million euros when combining all rounds.

Prize money structure reflects German football’s realities

The DFB’s payout scale reveals the cup’s secondary status compared to European competitions: first-round losers receive 211,886 euros, rising to 847,544 euros for quarterfinalists and 3.39 million euros for semifinal losers — figures that, while meaningful for smaller clubs, pale beside Europa League payouts where even a semifinal appearance brings 4.2 million euros.

This disparity explains Freiburg’s pragmatic stance: should they face a choice between prioritizing the Europa League or the DFB-Pokal, financial logic would favor the continental route, even though the emotional weight of a potential final against Bayern in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on May 23 remains substantial.

Historical precedent shows scheduling flexibility is rare but not new

The DFB has adjusted semifinal dates before, most recently in 2021 when pandemic-related delays pushed fixtures into atypical windows — though never before had a Bundesliga club’s European commitment directly caused a postponement affecting domestic cup scheduling.

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Thursday’s kickoff thus marks a notable intersection of domestic congestion and international ambition, where the pursuit of European revenue reshaped the traditional rhythm of Germany’s premier knockout competition.

Why was the second DFB-Pokal semifinal moved to Thursday?

The DFB rescheduled the Stuttgart-Freiburg match due to insufficient recovery time after all three clubs played Bundesliga games on Sunday, compounded by Freiburg’s Europa League semifinal first leg set for Thursday.

How much money is at stake in the DFB-Pokal semifinal?

The winner receives 2.88 million euros for reaching the final, with the champion earning 4.32 million euros plus a Supercup berth — significantly less than Europa League payouts but still a meaningful sum for Bundesliga clubs.