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!
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.