On Saturday there will be an unequal game in the round of 16 of the Berlin Cup. Not just because district league team Delay Sports is dueling with fourth division team BFC Dynamo. But also because two completely opposite philosophies come together.
International break. The large Football stadiums remain empty at the weekend, and the situation in Berlin is no different. No Hertha BSC in action, nor any Union. And yet it shouldn’t be boring in the capital when it comes to entertainment, action and explosiveness at club level. Because the Cozy Washing State Cup (yes, that’s really the name of the competition) is electrifying the city these days – especially the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen, where 3,500 to 4,000 spectators are expected on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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Right in the middle is Germany’s most famous amateur club: Delay Sports Berlin. The club, co-founded by the two Twitch streamers and ex-footballers Elias Nerlich and Sidney Friede, is fighting for its big dream and has already caused many big surprises on the way to the round of 16 of the Berlin Cup. After victories against a ninth division team, an eighth division team, a seventh division team and most recently the sixth division team Polar Pinguin, the regional league team BFC Dynamo is now waiting. The winner of the Berlin Cup qualifies for the 2025/26 DFB Cup season.
Four wins are missing until then. The tasks don’t get any easier – but your self-confidence doesn’t get any less either. How could it be theoretically possible for a club from the 9th division to have the upper hand against a fourth division team? “If you’re called Delay Sports,” laughs Bilal Kamarieh, one of the district league team’s most famous faces, in conversation SPORT1. He knows that it will be very, very difficult, “but we will throw everything into it and see what comes out. I’m really excited and I’m even more happy for the boys who aren’t used to such a backdrop,” explains the 28-year-old before what he calls the biggest game in the club’s history.
“Crazy how quickly this all developed”
It is clear that the atmosphere will be very special. Because the duel is an unequal one in terms of sport and yet both sides, more or less boldly put, are figuring something out. But also because the football worlds in which the clubs operate could hardly be more different. BFC Dynamo against Delay Sports, that is also the GDR record champions against a club that was only founded in 2021. Eastern veteran against influencer project. Tradition versus modernity. Or a team that has ambitions towards the third division, but has been stuck in the regional league for years, against an up-and-coming club that is causing a huge amount of hype, especially among young people.
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When it comes to media reach, the district league team is already top of the town. On Instagram alone, Delay Sports (550,000) has significantly more followers than the two established Berlin Bundesliga clubs Hertha BSC (368,000) and Union (349,000). “It’s crazy how quickly this has all developed and how many people now support us,” emphasized Kamarieh, who is also aware that not everyone agrees with the project. Despite this, or perhaps precisely because of this, it is important to him to emphasize that Delay Sports is more than just an influencer team.
“I don’t like the word,” Kamarieh said. “We actually only have two or three people, Sidney and Elias, who actually stream. The rest are good friends. Of course, as always in life when you go new ways, there are not only yes-sayers, but also many who are against it. But that’s part of it and we accept that,” he adds, without elaborating on the topic. Critics, on the other hand, have focused primarily on two aspects since the club was founded: Some are bothered by the young community, which stands in stark contrast to the previously known fan groups – including those of BFC Dynamo, long labeled as the black sheep of Eastern football. Others accuse Delay of greed for profit.
Delay Sports: Long-term goal of the Bundesliga?
Many who say something like that don’t even know the club and don’t know “what good Delay Sports does besides football,” says Kamarieh, describing the accusations of greed as unfounded. Among other things, the club foregoes income from jersey sponsorship and instead plays with the logo of the German Cancer Aid Foundation on its chest. The organization uses its wide reach to increase the visibility of amateur football. The Berlin Football Association also recognized this and gave Delay special permission to start directly in the district league C in order to avoid having to belong to the leisure league for three years without interruption, as is otherwise required.
Since then things have only gone uphill in terms of sport. In the first season the team won every game and scored 183 goals. The following year, Delay Sports didn’t give up a single point and went up a class undefeated for the second time in a row. The club’s plan is working so far – also thanks to the professional environment. It wasn’t until October, 58 games after its founding, that Delay suffered its first defeat in league play. Where could the journey go sooner or later? Kamarieh answered directly and confidently: “Bundesliga, Champions League!”
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DFB Cup would be “insane”
“When I take part in a project like this, it’s obviously a lot of fun. But it’s only really fun if you’re successful,” explains the offensive player, who was once considered a great talent and moved from Hertha BSC’s youth ranks to 1. FSV Mainz 05, but never played for the Rheinhessen professionals. “I don’t care what anyone else says. Our goal is to get as high as possible. I know if Eli (President Elias Nerlich) touches something, then he stands behind it with full ambition. I love that. We give it our all and see how high we get. My call is: Bundesliga.”
It is obvious that the path to get there is extremely long. But another cup surprise on Saturday would at least be another indication of how serious Delay Sports is about the future. The chance against BFC Dynamo is very small, “but it is there,” said Kamarieh: “If it worked and we were actually in the DFB Cup one day, that would be insane and crazy for everyone.” His dream opponent? Of course, the youth club that he follows most intensively to this day: Hertha BSC!
