As of yesterday evening (May 28th), the starting field for the upcoming 2024/25 second division season has been complete. The Lilies face exciting opponents and there are some interesting away trips on the agenda for the SV 98 fans. But where is the league's largest stadium? And who actually plays in the 2nd Bundesliga the longest? We answer these and many other questions in this message.
74,475 spectators fit into the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Hertha BSC has played its home games here since 1963 – there was only a one-year break in 1987. The third largest stadium in Germany was built in 1934. After several changes after the Second World War, a roof was installed over at least some parts of the stadium for the 1974 World Cup. The new renovation was also based on the World Cup: Italy were crowned world champions here in 2006. The Olympic Stadium was converted for this purpose between 2000 and 2004, and since then over 74,000 spectators have been able to watch Hertha games. The stadium will be the focus again in the summer of 2024; in addition to the annual DFB Cup final, the new European champions will also be crowned here.
SV Elversberg plays in the smallest stadium in the 2nd Bundesliga. The URSAPHARM Arena on the Kaiserlinde has space for 10,000 spectators, with 6,300 standing places, there are almost twice as many standing places as there are seats. The stadium was opened in 1983, and since the floodlights were overhauled, evening games have been played again since 2013. This was particularly important for the SVE with regard to licenses for the 3rd and 2nd leagues. The last game of the Lilien on the Kaiserlinde was also an evening game – on Friday, December 20th, 2013, the team of the then coach Dirk Schuster won 3-0 in Saarland.
Hertha’s home ground is not only the largest in the 2nd Bundesliga, but also the furthest away for the SVD team and fans. At 572 kilometers, the Lilies‘ visit to the Olympic Stadium will be the longest away game of the season. Our last trip to Hertha in particular is certainly still in the minds of some 98er fans; on the 33rd matchday of the 2015/16 season, SVD achieved a 2-1 away win and thus secured their place in the Bundesliga.
Next season we will be going back to Betzenberg to face 1. FC Kaiserslautern. At 104 kilometers, this game will be the shortest away trip of the season – the Lauterers‘ big rival, the KSC, is three kilometers more from Böllenfalltor. The first sports field was on the Betzenberg as early as 1920, and in the 1930s the stadium had a capacity of 18,000 spectators. Today’s Fritz Walter Stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 World Cup, and the women’s European Championship final in 1995 was also played here. The Lilies last visited the Betze in September 2022, after a furious game there was a 3-3 draw thanks to Aaron Seydel’s equaliser in the first minute of added time.
SC Preußen Münster is back in the 2nd Bundesliga! After their 2-0 home win against SpVgg Unterhaching on matchday 38 of the 3rd league, Münster is back in the second division. The last time the Münster team could call themselves that was in 1991, after which they only played third or even fourth division. Coach Sascha Hildmann’s team has achieved something special: after promotion from the regional league to the 3rd league, they have now made a direct breakthrough. A walkthrough? This was achieved not only by Preußen Münster but also by fellow promoted team SSV Ulm. After 22 years of abstinence from professional football, Ulm was promoted last summer from the regional league to the 3rd league and now to the German lower house of football. The “Spatzen” last played there in the 2000/01 season. The third newcomer this year comes from Regensburg. After just one year in the third division, SSV Jahn was promoted straight back up via a 4-3 aggregate win over Wehen Wiesbaden.
With the rise of Holstein Kiel and FC St. Pauli, there is a new dinosaur in the second Bundesliga: Hamburger SV. The Rothosen have been playing in the second division since the 2018/19 season and are now entering their seventh season. No other club is currently active in the league for longer. Particularly bitter: HSV never finished worse than fourth place in the league and always narrowly missed out on promotion. Hamburg failed twice in relegation, and there were four fourth places in the table.
SpVgg Greuther Fürth will be entering their 35th season in the 2nd Bundesliga. This puts the Franconians at the top. No other team has played more seasons in 2. Bundesliga. Hannover 96 is in second place among the reigning second division teams, and the Lower Saxony team is entering their 29th second division season. From 1997 to 2012, Fürth played continuously in the second division, then went to the Bundesliga for a year, followed by eight seasons in the second division.
The Elversberg team finished their debut season 2023/24 in a strong eleventh place in the table, and in some cases the SVE even had a sniff of the first third of the table. After the Saarlanders were promoted from the regional league to the 3rd league in 2022, Elversberg was even promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga for the first time last summer. And the midfield position in their first season showed that it shouldn’t just be a stay for one season.
A floodlit match at the Rudolf-Haribig-Stadion is always something special. Darmstadt 98 are aiming to take three points back to southern Hesse this Friday evening (February 27th). Kick-off is at 6:30pm. All the important information about the 24th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is clearly summarised for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
In an intense 90 minutes between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Lilies fought back to secure three points shortly before the final whistle. The early lead taken by the team from southern Hesse was quickly erased by the Rhinelanders. The match became increasingly wild and physical. The second half remained evenly contested, but in the end, SV 98 once again demonstrated their fighting spirit: Matej Maglica's late header sealed the three points. What do the players and the two head coaches have to say about this thrilling encounter? We've compiled all the post-match reactions.
SV Darmstadt 98 remain a force to be reckoned with at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor! The Lilies defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 (1-1) on matchday 23. It's their sixth consecutive home win, bringing their total to 45 points. Hornby opened the scoring for the home side after just seven minutes, before Maglica (88th minute) netted the decisive goal in the second half.