BERLIN -- German FA (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel has said the DFB Pokal final must be played in Germany after suggestions that it could one day be played in China.
Speaking at the traditional handover of the trophy ahead of the final between Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt on May 27, Grindel said the occasion "belongs to Berlin."
The final has been played at Berlin's Olympiastadion since 1985, when the city was still divided by the Berlin Wall.
But last month, Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted told Suddeutsche Zeitung the game could be played in Shanghai and said that would be "an opportunity" for German football.
Grindel said: "We need to boost our international efforts, and I can very well imagine that the national team will tour Asia and also play in Shanghai.
"But the DFB Pokal final belongs to Berlin and to the Olympiastadion."
The DFB chief also ruled out major changes to the structures of the cup.
There have been suggestions that clubs participating in European competition could get a bye in the first round, making it impossible for lower-league teams to get drawn against a giant like Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund at that stage.
"The DFB Pokal is the most successful cup in Europe, also with the money it generates for the clubs. It has huge acceptance," Grindel said.
"I'd like to think that there will be no changes to the idea of small clubs playing big clubs."