2016–17 DFB-Pokal
Borussia Dortmund claim fourth DFB-Pokal title with 2–1 final win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 2016–17 DFB-Pokal was the 74th season of the annual German football cup competition. Sixty-four teams participated, including all teams from the previous year's Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. It began on 19 August 2016 and ended on 27 May 2017 with the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The DFB-Pokal is considered the second-most important club title in German football after the Bundesliga championship and is run by the German Football Association (DFB).
- Tournament
- DFB-Pokal
- Season
- 2016–17
- Manager
- Thomas Tuchel
- Final Venue
- Olympiastadion, Berlin
- Opponent in Final
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- Final Score
- 2–1 (AET)
- Key Matchup
- Quarter-final vs. Bayern Munich
Lore & Background
Borussia Dortmund defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2–1 in the final to claim their fourth title and first since 2012. The defending champions were Bayern Munich, who beat Borussia Dortmund 4–3 on penalties in the previous final. Bayern Munich were knocked out in the semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund, losing 2–3.
In Their Own Story
The rain had begun to fall on the Berlin pitch, turning the grass slick under the stadium lights. Inside the Dortmund dugout, Thomas Tuchel watched intently as his team pushed forward in extra time, legs heavy but spirits unbroken. The scoreboard read 1–1, a result that felt like a loss after such a dominant campaign. Then, Aubameyang received a pass on the edge of the box. One touch to settle, one strike into the top corner. The roar from the yellow section was deafening, a wall of sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the Olympiastadion.
Reader's Guide
The competition featured 64 teams. The 36 teams of the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga, along with the top four finishers of the 3. Liga, automatically qualified. The remaining slots were given to winners of regional association cups, with three additional slots for Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Westphalia. Reserve teams and combined football sections were not permitted. Matches were single elimination; if tied after 90 minutes, extra time and then a penalty shoot-out decided the winner. A fourth substitute was allowed in extra time starting from the round of 16. Yellow card accumulation and red cards led to suspensions.
Did You Know?
- Borussia Dortmund's fourth DFB-Pokal title was their first since 2012.
- The final was held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, a nominally neutral venue that has hosted the final since 1985.
- Because Dortmund had already qualified for the UEFA Champions League via Bundesliga position, the Europa League group stage spot went to sixth-place Hertha BSC, and the third qualifying round spot to seventh-place SC Fre
- Dortmund hosted the 2017 DFL-Supercup against Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich.
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