SV Darmstadt 98 held its ordinary general meeting on Tuesday, October 20. Approximately 396 club members attended the meeting at the sports hall at Böllenfalltor. Anne Baumann, the board member responsible for finance, reported a profit after tax of €0.05 million for the fiscal year from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, with total revenue reaching €48.08 million. As of the end of the reporting period, the club’s equity stood at €26.16 million.
Club President Markus Pfitzner: „Our goal is to develop the club both athletically and economically, while remaining close to our members and fans. We share a collective responsibility for this. We are not satisfied with our current athletic performance, which is currently akin to a rollercoaster ride. Stabilising our performance is our top priority on the sporting side. At the same time, we must look beyond the current season—and beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch—to advance our future projects. This requires the courage to explore new paths that suit the Lilien and help us grow as a club.“
Frank Friedrich Grossmann, Felix Hotz, Andrea Petkovic, Markus Rusam, Mitsch Schulz, and Frank Wahl were confirmed by the general meeting as members of the Board of Directors. Martin Güldeberg and Thomas Schmidt, who are stepping down from the body at their own request, were bid farewell.
Furthermore, the general meeting approved the expansion of the Council of Elders to a maximum of four members, as well as a procedure for filling vacancies during a term of office. Wolfgang Arnold and Prof. Dr. Thomas Spengler were elected to serve until the next elections in 2027—filling the seat vacated by Peter Schmidt, who stepped down at his own request, and an additional newly created position. They join existing members Gerda Krüger and Jürgen Pforr on the council. In addition, the association’s statutes regarding the incompatibility of holding multiple official roles were updated to align with revised requirements within the licensing process of Bundesliga-Gruppe GmbH.
A key topic at the general meeting was the potential further redevelopment of the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. Following initial discussions with the authorities, it appears feasible—in principle—to redevelop the south stand and potentially the north stand as well, which would include a moderate increase in capacity to approximately 20,000 spectators. Naturally, this will require further careful assessment.
Vice President Arnd Zinnhardt explained to those present that plans for a new concrete-constructed south stand—featuring over 5,000 standing and seated places—are set to be explored further. The inclusion of an additional business area within the new south stand is also being considered, with careful attention paid to the needs and concerns of the fans. A new north stand could provide around 3,500 spaces for both home and away supporters. Relocating the away section to the north stand would allow the entire opposite straight (the Gegengerade) to be used as a home stand. The project is intended to be financed in part through grants from the city and the state; initial exploratory talks to this effect have already taken place.
I am very optimistic that the city, the state, and the club will succeed in securing funding together. As a city, we will not shirk our responsibility; instead, we will work alongside the club to ensure the financing is in place. I pledge my own support—as well as the support of the City of Darmstadt—to the club.
Furthermore, a cooperative model is being examined, which would allow fans, members, and sponsors to participate by purchasing shares, thereby facilitating the continued redevelopment of the stadium. The objective is to minimise the need for external debt financing, which would otherwise serve as an additional pillar of the funding structure.
We aim to unlock new opportunities that align with the club—the Lilien—and are economically viable. This also applies to the development of the stadium: we want to enable more people to experience the Lilien at the Böllenfalltor, thereby facilitating further growth for the entire club. Throughout this process, the financial stability of SV 98 remains our absolute top priority.
The final feasibility, design, and financing of the construction project remain undecided, as do the projected total costs and any potential construction timelines. Further questions regarding a possible redevelopment of the stands behind the goals will be discussed in the coming weeks and months with experts, while also involving fans and members. SV 98 will also provide further information in the coming weeks regarding the potential cooperative model.
During the general meeting, Fabian Holland was named honorary captain of SV 98. The members approved a proposal to this effect submitted by the executive board, honoring the long-time captain with a round of enthusiastic applause. Peter Schmidt and Ernst Hinkel—the latter having served for many years as head of the table tennis department—were appointed honorary members in recognition of their significant contributions to the Lilien.
Fabian Holland was honoured for his contributions to the Lilien during the general meeting on October 20. The members approved a proposal from the executive board, naming the long-time captain an honorary team captain amid a round of enthusiastic applause.
On Tuesday evening (Oct 20th), the annual general meeting of SV 98 will take place at the Böllenfalltorhalle in Darmstadt. We will guide you through the evening here, providing continuous updates via this live ticker for the 2026 general meeting.
On Friday (Nov 27th), the Lilien will face VfL Bochum at 6:30pm. Advance ticket sales for members are already underway. Tickets are now available online and at the ticket shop at the stadium.
Once again this season, our premium partner ENTEGA is helping to create unique stadium experiences. For every home match, you have the chance to win two VIP fan seats in the main grandstand, which also include access to the ENTEGA VIP lounge. The application deadline for the match against St. Pauli is Thursday (October 22) at 12pm.
Plenty of movement, a high tempo, and as few interruptions as possible—but does a strenuous training session automatically equate to an effective one? Nearly 90 coaches explored these questions during the fifth professional development seminar hosted by the youth academy of the Lilien (SV Darmstadt 98). Under the theme "Effective Training – Optimizing Intensity," the club’s youth academy invited coaches from the surrounding area to attend the session—free of charge—at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. Participants gained practical insights into the targeted management of training loads and had the opportunity to exchange ideas with coaches from other clubs.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV 98’s reserve side suffered a 1-0 (0–0) defeat away to SC 1960 Hanau. Despite creating good scoring opportunities of their own, it long appeared that the match would end in a goalless draw, until the hosts netted the decisive goal in stoppage time. Furthermore, the Young Lilies finished the match with fewer players on the pitch following two second-yellow (red) cards.
We have gathered reactions following the heavy away defeat against KSC.
SV Darmstadt 98 suffered a clear 4-0 (2-0) defeat in Karlsruhe. As a result, the Lilies are still waiting for their first away point of the season.
The 8th matchday takes the Lilies to Karlsruhe. Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting eleven compared to the home win against Cottbus: Lance Duijvestijn and Hiroki Akiyama come in for Noah Weißhaupt and Nicolas Verkooijen. Weißhaupt (on the bench) and Verkooijen (absent from the squad) both missed parts of the week's training due to illness. Additionally, Yosuke Furukawa is sidelined with calf problems.
On Sunday afternoon (Oct 18th, 1:30pm), SV 98 will visit Karlsruher SC for the 8th matchday of the season. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kickoff? Who will be officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we’ve put together all the essential information for the game against KSC in our "Matchday Guide" feature.
On Sunday, the Lilies face a challenge in Baden: for the 8th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 travel to take on Karlsruher SC. At the pre-match press conference, our head coach discussed the squad situation, the qualities of the opposition, and the team's motivation to get back to winning ways on the road.
On Sunday (October 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. KSC has a history that extends well beyond the confines of German football: the club from Baden once caused a stir on the European stage, writing a chapter that is still remembered today. But how did KSC manage to step into the international spotlight, and what made this success so special?