Tobias Kempe spoke in a media briefing on Wednesday (April 30) about his final games with SV Darmstadt 98 and his departure. The Lilies' long-standing team also aims to defend their title at the RW Walldorf small-sided tournament on Labor Day (May 1). We report on these and other topics related to SV 98 in our weekly column "Lilien Across the Board."
Tobias Kempe’s final games in the SV Darmstadt 98 jersey are coming up – and they will be emotional. The 35-year-old will retire from playing for the Lilies after this season. „At some point you reach an age where you have to make room for the younger players,“ said Kempe in a media briefing after Wednesday’s training session (April 30). In the coming weeks he will primarily soak up what has always made football special for him: the connection to the fans. „All the messages I received when I left touched me deeply,“ explained the veteran. A dignified farewell to the Lilies family? That is particularly important to Kempe. His wish: „In the best case scenario, we get three wins from the remaining three games.“ But no matter how the season ends – the last game in his own „living room“ against Jahn Regensburg will be a very special moment for Tobias Kempe.
On Thursday (May 1st), the SV Darmstadt 98 traditional team will be in action again! As they have done for many years, they will be participating in the RW Walldorf small-sided tournament. Alongside the Lilies, renowned traditional teams such as Eintracht Frankfurt, Kickers Offenbach, and Hessen Kassel will also be competing. The tournament starts at 12:15pm. Elton Da Costa, Uwe Hesse, Yvo Hoffmann, Zivojin Juskic, Toni Sailer, Michael Stegmayer, Thomas Süß, and Dennis Weiland, among others, will be sporting the Lily on May 1st.
Good memories: Last year, the Lilies won the tournament – now, of course, they want to challenge for the top spot again in 2025 and defend their title. Come along, support the SV 98 traditional team, and experience a great day of football!
Last weekend, eLilie Nassim competed for the German championship in the individual competition at the major offline event in Köln – as one of the 16 best EAFC25 players in Germany. In the round of 16, Nassim comfortably defeated Ditmir (Mainz 05) 5-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. There, he faced one of the favourites for the title, Levi Finn (Leipzig). Nassim got off to a better start and took an early 1-0 lead, but failed to capitalise on further opportunities to extend his advantage. Unfortunately, Levi Finn turned the game around with three goals before halftime, later extending the lead to 4-1. But Nassim fought back to 4-5. In a thrilling final phase, he ultimately lacked the luck to equalise. The Leipzig native later became German individual champion, but Nassim could still be extremely proud: He presented the champion with one of his toughest challenges and thus crowned a strong season for SV Darmstadt 98 in individual and team competitions on the virtual pitch.
After last week’s spectacular 4-3 victory in Bickenbach, the „second second team“ followed up on Sunday (April 27th) with a 5-2 away victory against SV Croatia Griesheim II. Griesheim got off to the better start, taking the lead in the 13th minute. The Lilies, however, were not fazed: they turned the game around before the break and went into the halftime break with a 2-1 lead. The „second second team“ continued to press after the break. A double strike in the 58th and 59th minutes gave them a comfortable 4-1 lead, and in the 77th minute, they even made it 5-1. Griesheim managed to narrow the score to 5-2 shortly before the final whistle (85th minute). With this well-deserved away win, the team maintains its second-place finish in the Kreisliga C and remains firmly in the race for promotion. The next important game is on Sunday (04.05/13.00) away at RSV Germania Pfungstadt II.
You can find an overview of the upcoming matches of the Lilien fan team here:
| Date | Kick Off | Match | Competition | Result |
| Sunday, 27.04.2025 | 3pm | SV 98 – SV Croatia Griesheim II | Kreisliga C | 5:2 |
| Sunday, 04.05.2025 | 1pm | RSV Ger. Pfungstadt II – SV 98 | Kreisliga C | |
| Sunday, 11.05.2025 | 5pm | SV 98 – SKG Roßdorf II | Kreisliga C |
Do you have the Lily in your heart? So why not on your jersey too? The SV Darmstadt 98 fan team is looking for new recruits. The team will be holding a trial training session this summer. You can register for it here.
The U19s of SV Darmstadt 98 have made an impressive comeback: After two defeats in a row, the young Lilies vented their frustrations on Wednesday evening (23 April) with a 5-0 away win against VfL Kassel – and thus comfortably advanced to the semi-finals of the U19 Hessen Cup. The team showed a strong response from the start: they set the course for victory with an early 1-0 lead in the 5th minute. Before the break, the Lilies added two more goals: in the 27th and 31st minutes they made it 2-0 and 3-0 – which practically decided the game. Even after the break, the lilies did not let up and continued to play with great enthusiasm. The 4-0 came after 52 minutes, before they made it 5-0 in the 75th minute. The winner of the match between FV Biebrich 02 and 1. FC-TSG Königstein awaits in the semifinals.
The Lilies‘ U17 team had a bye and will next face SV Gonsenheim in the DFB Youth League on Sunday (May 4th at 11am).
Darmstadt’s record goalkeeper Dieter Rudolf celebrates his 73rd birthday on Thursday (May 1st). Rudolf made 344 appearances for SV 98 – only Edwin Westenberger has more appearances for the Lilies. The former goalkeeper wore the Lily for ten years between 1974 and 1984, playing in the first and second divisions. He began his career at Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth team in 1974 before moving to SV 98 in southern Hesse, a team he would remain loyal to for a decade. Thus, Rudolf was also one of the „after-work professionals“ in 1978, and at the end of the 1977/78 season, he and his team won second division titles and were promoted to the Bundesliga. But that wasn’t his only promotion: In the 1980/81 season, Rudolf again won second division titles with Darmstadt. In the following season, however, the record holder fractured his lumbar vertebrae and was almost paralyzed from the waist down. Rudolf didn’t give up, fought his way back, and played for the Lilies for two more years before ending his career at 1. FC Bayern Darmstadt.
We wish our record-breaking goalkeeper a happy birthday. It’s great that you exist!
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
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.
