Emden were denied a licence to play in the third division next season as they were financially unable to sustain a complete season at that level, meaning they will instead play in the fourth division.

They had hoped that by switching the lucrative DFB-Pokal tie to Cologne's Mungersdorferstadion, they would earn a massive financial boost - the stadium would be a guaranteed sell-out since it is set to be the first game for Lukas Podolski back in a Cologne shirt.

However, the German Football Association (DFB) have reminded them of their statutes which forbid lower-league clubs from giving up their home advantage.

They may, however, switch the game to a larger stadium than their 7,000-capacity Embdena Stadion as long as it is in the same region.

Bremen's Weser Stadion could therefore be an option, although Emden's vice-president Gunther Kunz is confident they will be able to stage the match at their own ground.

"(Playing in) the third division is one thing, but the cup is another," he told the Emder Zeitung. "We will manage it."

Fifth-division side Germania Dattenfeld have taken advantage of the rule which enables them to move to a larger stadium within the same region by switching their lucrative first-round tie with Schalke to Cologne.