DHB-Pokal

The DHB Cup is the most important German Handball Cup competition for club teams. The competition is organized annually by the League Association of Handball Bundesliga (HBL ). Until the 1990s, the eponymous German Handball Federation was (DHB ) organizer of the competition. The name was retained for reasons of tradition.

In the GDR, fdgb Cup was held until 1991.

Mode

In addition to the running game operating in the handball leagues of the cup competition is contested in an elimination process. It take 106 teams annually participate in this, including all Bundesliga (1st and 2nd Bundesliga) the previous season. The other 52 teams will qualify through regional cup competitions.

The DHB Cup will be played in a total of seven consecutive knockout rounds, the last of the endgame is. By 2011, received in the first round, all 18 current teams in the first league and four other clubs a bye; from 2011, the Bundesliga clubs will enter only from the third instead of the second round in the DHB Cup.

The DHB Cup winner was entitled to 2011 in the following season to participate in the European Cup Winners' Cup and, after the reform of the European Cup since 2012 part of the EHF European Cup. In addition, the current DHB Cup winner plays at the start of the following season against the German champions to the HBL - Supercup.

Final Games

From 1981 to 1992, the final of the DHB Cup was discharged with return game in the halls of the finalists home. In 1993, the German Handball Federation has decided to hold a playoff weekend ( Final Four ). At the Final Four, the winner of the quarter-final matches will attend and determine the DHB Cup winner, while the two semi-finals will be played on a Saturday and the finals on the immediately following Sunday. The first edition of the Final Four was held in Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg since 1994 is the regular venue. By 2002, the tournament was held in the sports hall of Hamburg, since at the Color Line Arena or O2 World Hamburg. In the multi-purpose arena, the Final Four has developed into an event and the cup competition won its appeal at clubs and visitors. Meanwhile, the O2 World Hamburg is sold to the end-game weekends, so that more than 25,000 spectators watch the games live.

The end of 2004 announced the HBL that the Hamburger Sparkasse assumes the title sponsorship of the events up to and including 2007. Officially called the event since 2005 Haspa Final Four. Lufthansa took over in 2008 the title sponsorship of the Hamburger Sparkasse. Since then, the tournament is called Lufthansa Final Four.

In 2005, a play-off for third place was held, as was the possibility that the two finalists, the SG Flensburg- Handewitt and THW Kiel qualify via the Handball - Bundesliga for the Champions League for the first time. Before the final on Sunday, the HSG Nordhorn won against Frisch Auf Göppingen and qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup. The same thing happened again in 2010, when the TuS Nettelstedt - Luebbecke prevailed against VfL Gummersbach.

DHB Cup winner

In the years 1998 to 2000, the THW Kiel the DHB Cup became the first club in Germany three times in succession. Then this is the SG Flensburg- Handewitt managed from 2003 to 2005 and again THW Kiel from 2007 to 2009, and from 2011 to 2013.

DHB Cup final

Most successful clubs

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