Could The DFB Pokal Run Lead To A Great Future?

‘Leave the jersey in a better’ or ‘Champions do extra’ are just two of several core principles that govern one of the most successful sports teams in the world, the All-Blacks New Zealand rugby team. “Like the All-Blacks, we want to question everything,” Arminia Bielefeld chief commercial director Christoph Wortmann said.

They are also the slogans used typically by startups. A comparison that according to Wortmann fits well when describing an Arminia Bielefeld side that has made international headlines by reaching the DFB Pokal final by beating last year’s champions Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month. “We had to rebuild everything,” Wortmann said when talking about the early days of being in his current position.

“We wanted to shape the club actively and not just administer,” Wortmann said. What exactly does that mean? “The basis of economic growth is to strengthen our core business football in the medium-term,” Wortmann added. “Growth is our only chance. More interest in the club increases our growth and strengthens our core business.”

It is a positive spiral that is now accelerated through the Pokal run. To capitalize on the club’s success, Wortmann and his team have put together an economic growth plan for merchandizing, ticketing, sponsoring, squad value management, women’s football, and digitalization.

Founded in 1905, Bielefeld has always had a tumultuous history. But after being relegated from the Bundesliga following the 2021/22 season, Bielefeld went straight down to the 3. Liga following a horrendous 2. Bundesliga campaign in 2022/23. Then in 2023/24, the club’s first season in the third division, Arminia flirted with relegation again but ultimately the club was able to fight off relegation.

That first season in the 3. Liga, after back-to-back relegations, was, in particular, difficult. “When we applied for the third division licence, we had to bridge a significant financial gap,” Wortmann said. “I then had to go to a special hearing at the German Football Federation (DFB) to explain to them how we were going to finance the next season.”

Context here is important. The drop from the 2. Bundesliga to the 3. Liga is significant in terms of finances. Although a fully federal division, the third division in German football isn’t governed by the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) but the DFB. As such, it doesn’t participate in the significant television money the first two divisions receive every single season.

“The third division isn’t built to make money,” Wortmann said. To receive the licence, Wortmann worked feverishly to fill financial holes and ensure the DFB bosses that the club could survive playing in the third division. “We brought forward future earnings,” Wortmann. “But that’s money that then will be missing down the road.”

This is important context when discussing what Arminia’s DFB Pokal run means for the club. According to Gegenpressing, Bielefeld’s run to the semifinal has already earned the club €7.5 million ($8.5 million). Reaching the final guarantees another €2.88 million ($3.27 million), which would grow to €4.32 million ($4.9 million) should Bielefeld win the final. The two final participants also receive a share of the ticket sales. As a result, the income from the Pokal could grow to around €12 million ($13.6 million).

Those are enormous sums for a 3.Liga side. Sums that could grow even further should Bielefeld win the final and, as a result, qualify for the Europa League group stage. According to Swiss Ramble, German sides Eintracht Frankfurt earned €21.3 million ($24.2 million) and Hoffenheim €12.1 million ($13.75 million) from playing in the league stage of Europe’s secondary cup competition this season. Bielefeld with its infrastructure and stadium would probably be closer to Hoffenheim’s numbers.

Not that the club has even considered the possibility of playing in Europe. “We are not thinking about Europe,” Wortmann said. “The only thing we are thinking about is Berlin.” Although reality did hit home after UEFA requested documents for a potential licence to play in Europe this month.

It speaks for the decision-makers in Bielefeld that the club is only planning with what has already been earned. “The basis for everything is growth,” Wortmann said. “Also, rather than the financials, it was more important to rebuild confidence in the brand. To achieve that, we always look to remain authentic, and down-to-earth.

As part of that strategy, Wortmann, director of sport Michael Mutzel, head coach Mitch Kniat and the players have called season ticket holders to explain to them the club’s plans. On top of that, the club also organized townhall meetings for fans, players and staff visited fan clubs. All that with one goal, to rebuild trust in the club’s brand.

That has been the case. Even before the run to the DFB Pokal final, there has been a real sense of hype around the club in Bielefeld. According to Die Falsche 9, Bielefeld ranks 31st in Germany with 20,758 home spectators and 30th with 1,902 travelling fans per game.

“Our sponsoring and merchandise sales are on par with 2. Bundesliga clubs,” Wortmann said. “In fact, in this 3. Liga season we achieved numbers in merchandize and ticketing that we haven’t seen before in the 120-year history of the club. Unlike two years ago, it wasn’t an issue to receive the licence for the third and second division.”

That doesn’t mean the DFB Pokal money was necessarily a bonus. “We used some of that money to plug holes from the past,” Wortmann said. “But it also allowed us to invest in our infrastructure.”

The club used some of the money to register a second team that will play as the club’s U21 in the Oberliga (fifth division). “We want to develop our own talents or bring them up to a professional level,” Wortmann said. “Reestablishing a second team was very important for that to happen.”

Bringing back a reserve side was an essential step for the club. It underlined Arminia’s commitment to field a team with whom fans from the region can identify.

There are also soft factors that come with the club going deep in the DFB Pokal. “We received far more international attention,” Wortmann said. “It will certainly accelerate the growth of the club’s brand both at home and abroad.”

Without a doubt, reaching the cup final of Europe’s biggest economy helps. But before the club plays in Berlin against VfB Stuttgart, there is also one other big goal the club would like to achieve.

Die Arminia is currently second in the 3. Liga with a four-point gap to the relegation playoff spot. With a significantly better goal differential than third-placed Saarbrücken, Arminia could go up as early as next weekend. “The success in the DFB Pokal gives us a much stronger basis in the second division,” Wortmann said.

At that point, Wortmann tries to slow down expectations, though. “Let’s wait and see what happens over the next couple of games,” Wortmann said. “We have a great foundation, but we are not quite there yet.”

In that regard, Wortmann keeps it with another All-Black core principle: ‘sweep the sheds.’ This means to be humble. The players playing for the All-Blacks are told never to let the success get to their heads.

Overall, however, it is hard not to be optimistic about Bielefeld’s future. A strong league campaign and a long run in the DFB Pokal have put the club back on solid financial footing. The rest seems to be a bonus, and who knows, perhaps could lead to a great future.