Whereas cup competitions in most other countries have for years felt devalued, the DFB-Pokal continues to set the standard for what fans deserve.
Part of the appeal is the way it fits seamlessly into the German football calendar, starting with the tradition of the first round in August at the homes of exotically named teams like Teutonia Ottensen and SV Rödinghausen who the rest of the time struggle to make headlines.
After that it's midweek all the way until the May final, always held at the Berliner Olympiastadion. Games don't pop up on random Mondays or Thursdays and instead feel wholly connected to the narrative of the week
Everything is decided on the night and the quest for the Pott is still seen as something worthwhile, anything but an afterthought.
Take the current Pokalsieger (cup holders), Bayer Leverkusen. On Wednesday, in their quarterfinal, they faced the bigger club from down the road in terms of fan support and hence local media interest FC Cologne, who nevertheless are trying to extricate themselves from the 2. Bundesliga.
One can imagine in a different country, a manager fielding a side far from the very best XI: other priorities and all that and the players need a rest, etc. It's only the cup, after all. Not Xabi Alonso, who named one of his strongest teams of the season.
Played in front of a packed and raucous house at the BayArena, this vibrant Wednesday night Nachbarschaftsduell (neighborhood duel) had everything a football lover would want.
Cologne expertly counterattacked their way to a 2-0 lead and Leverkusen only overturned it six minutes into added time through Patrik Schick's second goal of the night.
It set the stage for extra time, and although Victor Boniface quickly put Bayer 04 in front for the first time, Cologne hit back again through newcomer Imad Rondić. However, due to a fractional offside, the goal -- announced to the public over the speaker system for the first time in the Pokal by referee Frank Willenborg -- was annulled.
Cologne were ultimately defeated but we were left to reflect on an epic night in a competition that I will continue to call the most complete and exciting domestic cup competition anywhere. If you're not convinced, just ask anyone at Bayern Munich how annoying it is that since their last Pokal lift in 2020, they've never made it as far as a semifinal. It's a theme that comes up regularly in Munich.
This season is not just the preserve of the top clubs. While Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart are already through, later in the month there is the mouthwatering prospect of Werder Bremen going to the Bielefelder Alm. Arminia Bielefeld, a club with a grand tradition now find themselves in the 3. Liga and as such, get automatic home advantage for as long as they are in the competition with the exception of the Berlin final.
RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg will then contest the fourth quarterfinal before the semis are drawn and then scheduled for early April. For anyone who thinks neutral venues are necessary in a last-four contest, Germany shows how that simply makes for a poorer spectacle.
If the DFB-Pokal isn't on your radar, you're missing out when it comes to enjoying an intrinsic part of what makes German football magical.
Two traditional giants on the upswing
I thoroughly look forward to every Bundesliga TV commentary responsibility, but have to admit I'm especially enthused about the Saturday Topspiel I've been assigned this week for the league's world feed.
Why? Well, Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt were home to two of the first grounds I visited in Germany to watch football as a student in the 1980s. Both clubs ooze tradition.
Gladbach average 53,407 fans per game, placing them fifth in the Bundesliga attendance chart behind Eintracht, who attract 57,550 per match. These figures tell you everything about the pull of these two Traditionsvereine (traditional clubs).
Gladbach's old Bökelbergstadion wasn't a place for creature comforts -- you would get soaked there when the heavens opened -- but undeniably had a special atmosphere. These days, die Fohlen (the Foals) canter into a much plusher green-bedecked venue in the southwest outskirts of the city.
Gladbach under Gerardo Seoane have rediscovered the winning habit, beating VfL Bochum at home and Stuttgart away in their past two matches to bolster their push for Europe. Frankfurt, who stand third in the league with 38 points and a genuine chance of UEFA Champions League football, are an important weathervane for them. Even with Omar Marmoush having left, there is flair in attack with the talented Hugo Ekitike.
Gladbach have relied heavily on Tim Kleindienst, who has scored 12 league goals in his first season with the club, while showing that being 29 years old is no impediment to launching a national team career.
I generally don't predict the outcome of games I commentate on, but will predict that Gladbach-Eintracht will be worth your time on Saturday.