What makes Hertha BSC so strong in this 2. Bundesliga season? What kind of match can fans at Berlin's Olympic Stadium expect? And what's the mood like within the SV Darmstadt 98 squad? At the press conference on Friday (January 30th), Darmstadt head coach Florian Kohfeldt answered these and other questions. We've summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Matthias Bader, Bartosz Bialek and Killian Corredor remain sidelined with injuries. All other players are available.
Hertha remains the undisputed top favourite in the league. Along with Hannover, they boast the strongest squad in terms of individual talent. Hertha, along with us, is the most in-form team in the league, having earned 19 points from their last ten matches. While they started the second half of the season with two draws, they were clearly the better team in both games – especially in their home match against Schalke. They were also very dominant at the end of the second half in Karlsruhe. We’re facing a team with a lot of attacking quality. Overall, their squad possesses incredible quality. They have players who really shouldn’t be playing in the second division – like Reese, Cuisance, and Kownacki. Compared to the first leg, they also have Seguin, who provides a real rhythm on the pitch. And Dardai is the most technically gifted centre-back in the league. Defensively, they’ve lost their most aggressive defender with Zefuuik suspended, but they are still very well-coordinated and press with a clear system.
We can certainly look forward to a top-class match. Hertha is an opponent we’ve studied very intensively, and we had to. They’ve certainly done the same for us. We can cause them problems with our style of play. Therefore, I’m looking forward to a top-class match. And top matches are usually decided by the smallest of margins. So we’re very focused and looking forward to a heated game in cold Berlin.
The mood in the team – and this is how I see it – is basically the same as it has been all season. We were happy about the win and the performance against Nürnberg. On Wednesday, we analysed the Nürnberg game, focusing on what we can learn from it. Then, at the beginning of the week, we had some really excellent, high-intensity, and very sharp training sessions. So, our focus immediately shifted back to the next game. We’re confident, focused, and really eager. These are generally good conditions. We’re concentrating solely on Berlin and nothing else. We’re concentrating on our actions, what we want to do, and how we want to do it. That’s an important attitude. It’s about never losing your head, even if you concede a goal. It’s about staying grounded and concentrating on what you’re doing. And that’s exactly what the lads are doing.
Fabian Holland and Fabian Nürnberger are both options for the starting eleven again. Niklas Schmidt completed a very intensive training session on Wednesday without any problems; the intensity was roughly equivalent to 60 to 70 minutes of a match. Therefore, based purely on his fitness level, he would certainly be an option to start for around 60 minutes. We’re talking about the positions he can play, but also about key players. Everyone who plays in his positions is that extra bit sharper because they know someone has joined the team who can also play there very well. For a coach, that’s a fantastic situation.
From the very beginning of this transfer window, we said that after Meldin Dreskovic’s departure, we wanted to bring in someone for the centre-back position – a player with potential for development. I can say that we’ve made significant progress in our search.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.