Drama in the DFB Cup: Hannover 96 against Cottbus-Old ghosts awaken!

Drama in the DFB Cup: Hannover 96 against Cottbus-Old ghosts awaken!

Cottbus, Deutschland - Hannover 96 and Energie Cottbus are combined by an eventful football history that goes back more than a quarter of a century. The first encounters between these two clubs took place at the end of the 1996/97 season. Hannover 96, then champion of the Regionalliga Nord, competed against the master of the Regionalliga Nordost, Cottbus. The original first leg in Hanover ended without goals (0-0), while the second leg in Brandenburg was characterized by a power failure during an exciting game, which Cottbus finally won 3-1. The racist incidents that occurred during the game were particularly tragic; Players like Otto Addo and Gerald Asamoah were attacked with insults and objects such as bananas. These shocking events remain unforgettable and reached into the recent times when they were discussed in 2021 in the documentary "Black Adler". Hannover 96 reminded of the incidents in a current statement and expressed his dismay about an inappropriate tweet of Cottbus, which recalled the events of that time. This tweet has now been deleted, but it ensured considerable excitement among the Hanoverians, such as [Hannover96] (https://www.hannover96.de/newscenter/details/35457-denkwuerdige-aufstiünde- elfmeterschiessen-im-pokal-diese-gab-gab-es-96-und-cottml) reports.

With a look at the success story of both clubs, an attractive duel is shown. Until 2009 there were a total of twelve first and second division, the balance sheet made clear that both teams showed strong performance in the past: Hannover 96 was able to celebrate five wins, while Cottbus was easily in the lead with six victories. A memorable game was the 34th matchday of the 2007/08 season when Hanover won 4-0 and thus secured a place in the memory of the fans. The two teams also met in the DFB Cup; In the 2004/05 season, after an exciting 2-2 draw in the regular playing time, the penalty shootout, which Hanover was able to win for in the end. This victory paved the way to the round of 16, which could be won against Dortmund and the quarter -finals against Schalke.

Current encounters and racism debate

The last direct encounters between the teams took place in the third division this season, with the 96-U23 ending in a first duel 0-0 and in a later the game 2-2. Nevertheless, the memory of the tragic incidents of 1997 remains present. The discussion about racism in football has repeatedly attracted attention, not only because of the incidents in Cottbus, but also because of the public provocative behavior. Before the relegation first game between Cottbus and Unterhaching, Cottbus turned to his fans with a call and posted a tweet that was criticized as inappropriate. The latter referred to the games of the past and represented the incidents in an inappropriate light. The club was forced to comment and explained that it was never the intention of having racist incidents down. In the explanation, the initiative for diversity and tolerance was mentioned as well as a separate program called "Rotweiss instead of brown", which clearly opposed racism, how Sportbild reported.

The next encounter between Hannover 96 and Energie Cottbus is planned for the upcoming DFB Cup weekend from August 15th to 18th, 2025. The exact date is still pending, but the anticipation for another chapter in this exciting rivalry is already noticeable. For the fans of both sides, the hope remains that the future of fairness, tolerance and sporting ambition is shaped.