Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference ahead of the match against Hannover 96 (April 11th/8:30pm) about the fast-paced first game, the strong opponent, and the squad. We've compiled the most important statements from our head coach for you.
Personnel update: Luca Marseiler (torn cruciate ligament), Isac Lidberg and Kai Klefisch (both suspended due to yellow cards) are not available.
We really struggled in Bielefeld. It was probably our worst game of the season. We couldn’t find any solutions, neither individually nor as a team. These things happen, but it stands out because it’s rarely been the case for us.
I have great confidence in the group and in our ability to deliver a different performance and find different solutions against Hannover. I don’t sense any loss of confidence, not even within the team. I’m looking forward to the home game on Saturday evening against a top opponent who’s currently one place below us in the standings. We’re excited for the match, want to approach it with confidence, and bring our strengths to the pitch.
We know about Hannover’s unique style of play. They play very aggressively off the ball and use a lot of man-to-man marking all over the pitch. They’re very patient in attack. Hannover has an incredible number of options in their squad. Especially in attack, they practically have two players for every position.
Perhaps that’s the difference compared to the Bielefeld game. Bielefeld surprised us a bit. Now we know what to expect. We’re excited and confident in ourselves. We’re still in an incredibly exciting situation right now, and we want to project that image.
In recent months, we haven’t been able to replicate our home form away from home. Now we have a home game. We know that, regardless of the opponent, we’ve consistently performed well and always earned at least a point, most recently playing a very good home game against Schalke. That gives us a good feeling, but of course, it’s no guarantee.
It’s pointless to look at the table; so much can still happen before the end of the season. We want to make sure we’re playing for something positive for as long as possible.
Let’s all look forward to a game like this. I can shout it to our office staff, the players, and the fans: We are Darmstadt 98, and we’re in an absolutely fantastic situation, and we should be excited about it and let that shine through. We’ll ignore the table; this game is going to be awesome.
We need to decide whether we want to field a very mobile attacking lineup or a single target man. Fynn and Bartosz are our target men. If we want to play more flexibly up front, we can move Fraser into that position.
Regarding the double pivot, we’ve always said that if Kai is unavailable, Mey is the player who, alongside Hiro, maintains the balance in our game with his physicality and tackling ability. Mey is certainly the favourite for that position in a double pivot.
That was probably one of the best second-division matches of the season. As my colleague from ARD said, „A game that should never end.“ It wasn’t a festival of errors; almost everything that happened was well-executed, and it was a pretty awesome game. It would be great if we could see another game like that, ideally with the same result.
You’re always nervous when you’re not directly involved. If I were a fan, I’d have a beer at 7pm and then head to the stadium relaxed. (laughs) It’s going to be a close game. Both teams are top teams in the league. Both teams are attack-minded. Hannover has a very clear possession-based style, and we’re probably a bit more versatile in all attacking aspects. There will be a lot of close, small moments that will decide the game.
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.