25.07.2024 / English
„A big thank you for the support“
The official team presentation among partners and sponsors has long been a tradition at SV 98. Not far from the Merck Stadium, the event took place on Wednesday evening (July 24th) on the HEAG mobilo site at Böllenfalltor. More than 600 guests accepted the Lilien's invitation to get to know the team for the upcoming season and also to spend an entertaining evening with music, food and conversation.
When the gates opened at 6pm, the SV 98 players were already fully involved in the process. While Matthias Bader, Christoph Zimmermann, Matej Maglica and Fabian Nürnberger welcomed the guests, Luca Marseiler, Fynn Lakenmacher, Clemens Riedel and Fabio Torsiello provided those arriving with their first drink.
Until the official start of the stage program, the Lilies mingled with those present, had conversations and were of course also available for photo or autograph requests. Getting in the mood for the start of the season in a week and a half? It worked right from the start.
At around 7pm the welcome was given by Lilien stadium spokesman Colin Mahnke, who then handed over to the host Johannes Gregor, technical managing director of HEAG mobilo. Immediately afterwards, Lilien President Rüdiger Fritsch said a few words to the guests: „I am very happy to be standing before you today in a relaxed and positive atmosphere. After last season, it is not everyday that the club is not in a shambles „A big thank you for this discipline despite all the emotions and for the fact that we stayed together as an entire club. That’s Darmstadt 98.“
The president described the evening together as a “big thank you for the support” of the partners and sponsors and added: “We can all look back with pride and a feeling of happiness at how SV 98 has developed over the past few years. And I can promise : We’re all excited for the new season.“
An anticipation that Paul Fernie also exuded on the microphone a few moments later: „There are many big clubs with great fans and a lot of tradition waiting. We know that we won’t be given anything for free. But we’re looking forward to what we hope will be a great season.“
The sports director’s words were followed by the highlight of the evening: the official team presentation of the squad for the 2024/25 season. The Lilies appeared on stage in groups of three and, in numerous short interviews, gave insights into the preparation, the anticipation of the coming season and the mood in the team.
The stage program concluded with Torsten Lieberknecht, who went into a little more detail about the many new faces in the SV 98 squad: „We had a good feeling about all the new additions. They identify with this club and have had their hearts in the preparation so far I think that all fans will see against Düsseldorf why we signed them.“
Afterwards there was enough time for networking and casual chatting at the lavish buffet at the Shiraz Restaurant and the Thomas Müller Gastronomy. Various video impressions from the previous summer preparations flickered across the LED wall and those who wanted could of course end the evening with music and one or two cold drinks.