When Werder Bremen take off this Friday in their 50-seat OLT plane towards Berlin, there will mainly be players with the experience of playing in cup finals who are looking forward to another special final weekend. But there will also be three debutants on board and heading into unchartered waters in the final at Berlin’s Olympia Stadium.

That leaves Marko Marin, Phillip Bargfrede and Per Mertesacker all the more excited about the trophy. "This is my first national final so therefore it’s a very important highlight for me personally. Last year was very bitter that I had to miss out on both finals injured," said the German international Mertesacker. "This is a very special situation. The coach can win the cup for the fourth time and we can defend the title for the first time in club history. My excitement is much bigger than the nervousness," added Mertesacker. How do things stand with the younger final debutants? Marko Marin appears cool with the situation at least on the outside. "The others told me a lot of great stuff about Berlin. They were thrilled with the atmosphere and all raved about it. I hope I can experience that feeling as well and lift the cup in the end," said Marin.

Philipp Bargfrede naturally would like to do the same. "Last year I sat in the stands with my girlfriend as a fan. Now I may be on the pitch in my first season as a professional. If somebody had told me that before hand I would have thought ‘Man, things must have really worked out.’ Now I am really in the team which can defend the title. This is something very big," said the 21-year-old Bargfrede.