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Former cup winners ASC Grünwettersbach and Post SV Mühlhausen will face off in a round of 16 clash at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg, with the winner set to take on three-time champions 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT. In this interview, ASC coach Kilian Ort and PSV veteran Steffen Mengel discuss their teams’ chances of success, as well as the significance of the cup competition for their sides.

Kilian Ort, at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg, your ASC Grünwettersbach team will face Post SV Mühlhausen in their opening match. How hopeful are you of reaching the quarter-finals in this top-flight clash?

Kilian Ort: Yes, of course we’re hoping to reach the quarter-finals. But I think Mühlhausen will be the favourites in that match. They beat us twice last season, so we’ll be trying to spring a surprise there.

Steffen Mengel, how do you rate Mühlhausen’s chances?

Steffen Mengel: Mühlhausen versus Grünwettersbach are actually always fifty-fifty matches. In the past, they’ve always been very evenly matched and closely contested. Last season, however, we managed to beat them twice. So, naturally, we’re hoping we’ll make it through to the quarter-finals.

According to most experts, the winner of your round of 16 tie will face triple winners 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT in the battle for a place in the Liebherr Cup Final4. Would the presumed underdog status be a good starting point for an ‘all or nothing’ tactic, or could things have been a little easier?

Kilian Ort: I see no reason to start preparing for the quarter-finals just yet. I’ve seen the draw; I don’t think our draw is an easy one overall – neither in the round of 16 nor against our potential quarter-final opponent. That’s why we’re focusing on Mühlhausen first, because we respect Mühlhausen – that’ll be tough enough – and if we win that match, I’m looking forward to preparing for our quarter-final opponent.

Steffen Mengel: Of course, it could have been a bit easier. It has to be said quite clearly that the gap has widened even further due to the signings made by Saarbrücken and Düsseldorf for this season, and it’s virtually impossible for any team to beat Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken when they field their full squads.

Grünwettersbach have reached the Final4 four times in the cup over the past eight seasons. Has the cup taken on special significance for the ASC since winning the title in 2020?

Kilian Ort: Winning the cup is certainly a major achievement. Even today, people still tell great stories about that fantastic weekend. I’d hesitate to say that the cup competition has always been our top priority in recent years, especially when you look at our line-up in last year’s cup round of 16.

Mühlhausen’s Steffen Mengel reached the cup semi-finals for the only time to date four years ago. How significant would it be to reach the Liebherr Cup Final4 again?

Steffen Mengel: The Final4 is, of course, always a major and very significant event, and, as I’ve said, in my eight years at Mühlhausen so far, we’ve only been there once – and unfortunately I couldn’t play then due to injury. That’s why it would be lovely for me personally to play in the Final4 again, but given the draw, it’s definitely going to be a mammoth task this year.

Does the new ‘Grand Opening’ format, with the round of 16 and quarter-finals taking place over a single weekend, change the way you prepare for the cup?

Kilian Ort: Well, for me personally, this changes relatively little. The big difference, of course, is for the players. Compared to a potential away match against a second-division side, where there’s no red floor, an event like this in a large arena is obviously quite different. But this won’t be the very first time our players have played in a large hall with, hopefully, a large crowd. That’s why the players will, of course, prepare for it – and I’ll be preparing them too. Tactically, however, relatively little changes.

Steffen Mengel: The new format doesn’t change our preparations. We’re starting the season in mid-August anyway. Every player is already in the run-up to the new season, so nothing changes for us or the team in that respect. But we’re naturally looking forward to the event to see what it’s like.

You yourself, Kilian Ort, have prepared for a TTBL season as head coach for the first time. How pleased are you that the ‘dark’ pre-season, with our narrow escape from relegation, can now finally be consigned to the past?

You can’t really imagine this sort of preparation being like in football, where the players spend three or four weeks together, practising doubles and building team spirit at a mountain hut. In many clubs, particularly smaller ones, there isn’t actually a dedicated training group; instead, the coach – acting more as a mentor – travels to the Bundesliga venues at the weekend, just like the players do. Even at clubs that still have their own training squad and, in the traditional sense, still employ a coach, the reality is that, due to the WTT tournaments, the players aren’t always on site; in the summer they’re certainly off on holiday from time to time and might also be attending a training camp with the national team. That’s why this sort of preparation isn’t possible through day-to-day training. Of course, after last season I shared my views and advice with the players; I told them what I think they can improve in their play and what they can incorporate into their training. And I’m naturally delighted that we’re still competing in the top flight. ASC is a great club with outstanding fans and personalities, and I believe the team definitely has enough potential to have a better season.

Steffen Mengel, what memories and moments do you personally associate with the cup competition?

Unfortunately, none that are particularly good, but that could still change – I’m still young at 38, after all.

Kilian Ort and Steffen Mengel, thank you very much for talking to us.

Florian Manzke