Tradition, commitment, and a sporting focus: At the New Year's reception in the State Theatre, the Lilies, together with 600 invited guests, looked ahead to the year 2026. There was also reason to celebrate: Marcel Schuhen turned 33 on the day of the reception. On the sporting front, Marco Richter focused on the start of the second half of the season. You can read these and other news items in our weekly column "Lilies Across the Board."
Back in Darmstadt, Marco Richter was in good spirits after the first training session. He had personally racked up more scoring points at the end of the first half of the season, but he doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels. „I try to give my best every day. Now it’s a fresh start. All that matters is the team’s success. And I hope I can help the team,“ Richter said in a media briefing on Tuesday. He feels very comfortable in the „really awesome team“ of SV 98.
Looking ahead to the start of the second half of the season, Richter emphasised that the good results in the first half were only achieved through hard work. „It doesn’t work if we take even one step less. That applies one hundred percent to the game in Bochum as well.“ Nevertheless, SV 98 travels deep into the west with confidence: „We have to be ready from the first second, but we’re going to Bochum with our heads held high and want to start the second half of the season with three points.“
A cherished Darmstadt 98 tradition took place for the second year in a row on Tuesday evening (January 13th) at the Darmstadt State Theatre: the club’s New Year’s reception. Around 600 invited guests from the worlds of sports and politics, as well as partners and sponsors, gathered to celebrate the start of 2026. The players sold raffle tickets for charity, Markus Pfitzner addressed the guests, and the contract extension between SV Darmstadt 98 and HAIX was announced. Further information about the evening can be found here.
Yesterday, Tuesday, there was another reason to celebrate – for Darmstadt captain Marcel Schuhen. The number one goalkeeper for SV Darmstadt 98 celebrated his 33rd birthday that day. For many years – more precisely, since the summer of 2019 – he has been a fixture at the Bölle stadium, shaping the team with his performances as a leader both on and off the pitch. It’s great that you’ve been in Darmstadt for so long. We wish you all the best for your new year!
The SV Darmstadt 98 recreational sports camp, held from January 5th to 9th at the Bürgerparkhalle, offered participating children a variety of fun-filled days with plenty of exercise and team spirit. „We are delighted that the recreational sports camp was so well received. It was fascinating to see how much fun the children had with the different sports that SV 98 offers in its amateur departments,“ said Roy Reinelt-Peter, board member responsible for amateur departments and the fan and support department.
Under the professional guidance of coaches and instructors, the kids were able to try a different sport each day. These included futsal, judo, basketball, table tennis, and headis. It was all the more gratifying that the fully booked camp brought great joy to everyone involved. „The recreational sports camps are an important step in increasing the visibility of our sports departments in the city and the region. We need this visibility to grow our recreational sports program and attract new members to our sports club,“ Reinelt-Peter added.
Together with „Die Haftpflichtklasse VVaG,“ SV 98 is hosting the second edition of the „Chancen+“ study and training fair on January 28th. Over 30 companies will be at the Bölle stadium to present careers, entry-level positions, and training opportunities to students. Whether entire school classes attend or students visit alone, with friends, or with family, all the information is available here.
On Tuesday, January 13, Dr. Karl Heß (1900–1975) would have turned 126 years old. Heß was a former chairman of SV Darmstadt 98 and was posthumously appointed honorary chairman at the club’s general meeting in 2018.
Dr. Karl Heß was a German-Jewish lawyer who, as a sports official and passionate football enthusiast, significantly shaped the development of SV Darmstadt 98 during the Weimar Republic. Due to his Jewish faith, he was expelled from Darmstadt during the Nazi era and forced to flee Germany. In 1963, Heß returned to his hometown. He is representative of the numerous German-Jewish athletes, officials, and supporters who fell victim to Nazi antisemitism. A memorial plaque and the Karl Heß Square, inaugurated on January 15, 2017, in front of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, commemorate his life’s work.
SV 98 have secured the services of highly sought-after Nicolas Verkooijen. The Belgian U21 international joins the club in southern Hesse on a free transfer after his contract with Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven expired at the end of the season.
The "Bundesliga Talent Series" will launch in the 2026/27 season as an additional U21 competition to promote young talent in German professional football. SV 98 is one of 26 clubs from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga that have committed to participating.
Tim Arnold will play in the Regionalliga West next season. SV 98 is loaning the 19-year-old to Sportfreunde Siegen. The fourth-division club also has an option to sign him permanently.
Want to take your team to the Heinerfest stage? Then apply now! SV Darmstadt 98 is looking for four teams to be part of the Lilies' Heinerfest game show and compete against former Lilie player Michael Stegmayer. The show takes place on Saturday, July 4th, from 4pm to 6pm. Amateur teams, groups of friends, families, fan clubs, and club groups are all welcome to participate.
With the start of the Hessian summer holidays on June 29th, the Merck Lilies football camps will of course also be in full swing again. You can find all the information here.
SV 98 is making changes to the head coaching positions for its U21 and U19 teams for the upcoming season. Sebastian Schmitt, who has been in charge of the U21s since February, will now coach the U19s. Conversely, the current U19 coach, Patrick Kurt, will take over the position with the U21s.
The SV Darmstadt 98 fan shop at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be closed next Monday (June 22nd). It will reopen on Tuesday (June 23rd) with its regular opening hours.
Where are the Darmstadt 98 players spending their summer holidays? We'll give you a brief overview. Furthermore, SV 98 welcomed their first new signing, Noah Weißhaupt, to the Böllenfalltor stadium this week, and the club's veterans team will be playing two matches again this weekend. We'll keep you up-to-date with all the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 in our "Lilies Across the Board" section.
At the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor against FC Homburg: Ticket sales for the friendly match on July 14, 2026, at 6pm against the regional league team begin on June 18 at noon. Tickets are available as usual at the ticket office at the stadium and in our online ticket shop. We would also like to draw your attention to this very special match day: The friendly against FC Homburg will put our youngest fans in the spotlight, giving them their first ever children's match day at the stadium, an event never before seen at the Merck Stadium.
Fabio Torsiello will also play for Alemannia Aachen next season. SV 98 is loaning the 21-year-old attacking player to the third-division club for another season. Aachen also has an option to sign him permanently.
