German states haggle over unsettled soccer bet

The state governments of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland are locked in a peculiar standoff over a sports bet made two years ago. The wager, placed between former Minister-President Anke Rehlinger of Saarland and her Rhineland-Palatinate counterpart Malu Dreyer, was contingent on the outcome of a soccer match between 1. FC Saarbrücken and 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

As the 1. FC Kaiserslautern emerged victorious with a 2-0 win, Rehlinger owes Dreyer a "Pfälzer Saumagen," a traditional Palatinate dish. Had Saarbrücken won, Dreyer would have had to sample a "Saarländischer Schwenker," a Saarland specialty.

However, the bet has yet to be settled. Neither Dreyer nor her successor, Alexander Schweitzer, could find a suitable time to fulfill the wager. Now, with Gordon Schnieder of the CDU replacing Schweitzer as the head of government, the bet's status is even more uncertain. A Saarland government spokesperson told dpa that while Schnieder has expressed a willingness to cook, the "inherited rights" to the bet likely lie with FCK fan Alexander Schweitzer. The spokesperson added, with a hint of humor, that the responsibility for settling the bet might have been discussed during the formation of the new Rhineland-Palatinate government. Rehlinger anticipates a prompt resolution within the new black-red coalition in Mainz.