Both Jean-Paul Boëtius and Isac Lidberg have a common goal: The two Lilies are competing with their national teams in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the USA. At the same time, Marco Richter is feeling increasingly comfortable in Darmstadt. The attacking midfielder spoke about his first weeks at SV 98 – we report back. You can read about this and much more in our "Lilien Across the Board" section.
Marco Richter is in excellent spirits – both on and off the pitch. „I feel very, very comfortable here. The team is top-notch, and I’ve been given a really good welcome. It’s just a lot of fun playing here,“ the attacker explained during a media briefing on Tuesday (October 7th). He particularly likes the high level of training: „The coach demands a lot – that pushes us all. During the week, there’s always tension, things get a little rough, but afterward, we shake hands and keep going. Everyone wants to push themselves to the limit.“
Another positive for him is the healthy competition, especially in his position in attacking midfield. „We have a lot of guys who are really good on the ball. Everyone wants to play, everyone gives it their all – that’s good for the team,“ Richter emphasises. Despite the international break, he’s already looking ahead to the challenges ahead: „I’m really looking forward to the next games – especially the clash with Schalke. It’s a special stadium – and then straight after that, playing against them again in the cup. Really awesome!“
SV Darmstadt 98 will once again have two players on the international stage during this international break: Jean-Paul Boëtius and Isac Lidberg have been called up for their respective national teams. Boëtius will compete with Suriname in the World Cup qualifiers, while Lidberg was called up for Sweden on Monday (October 6th), replacing the injured Jordan Larsson and also fighting for important points in the World Cup qualifiers. Both Lilies will be in action next Friday (October 10th): Lidberg will play for Sweden against Switzerland at 8:45pm, while Boëtius will face Guatemala at 11pm German time. The action continues on Monday evening (October 13th/8:45pm), when the Swedish national team hosts Kosovo. Suriname will play in Panama on Wednesday night (October 15th) at 3am German time.
We wish Boëtius and Lidberg every success in their national team jerseys!
Anyone who doesn’t want to miss out on live Lilies football this weekend will get their money’s worth at SV Darmstadt 98, despite the international break! On Saturday (October 11th), the U21 Lilies will play at home in Alsbach against Hünfelder SV. Kickoff for the Hessenliga match is at 3pm. The Lilies‘ U21 team will be looking to pick up points after two consecutive defeats.
What a district league spectacle at the Ostendstraße sports field! In a high-scoring match, the SV Darmstadt 98 fan team lost 4-6 (0-3) to RSV Germania Pfungstadt, but after a weak first half, they showed great fighting spirit and a remarkable comeback.
The match got off to a particularly unfortunate start for the Lilies: The visitors took a 1-0 lead after just four minutes. Pfungstadt added two more goals by the 32nd minute – a bitter setback for SVD’s „second team.“ Shortly after the restart, Pfungstadt even made it 4-0 (47th minute). But the hosts didn’t give up. Julian Schreiber brought the Lilies back into the game with his goal in the 62nd minute, making it 1-4. Just six minutes later, Ole Michel Bautz reduced the deficit to 2-4 (68th minute), before Pfungstadt doubled the lead with a penalty in the immediate aftermath (2-5, 69th minute). Schreiber then converted a penalty for the 98ers in the 82nd minute to make it 3-5, but the visitors restored the lead just two minutes later (3-6, 84th minute). Schreiber again sealed the victory with his third goal to make it 4-6 (86th minute).
In the end, the late attack wasn’t enough to avert defeat. Despite the setback, the 98ers showed both morale and fighting spirit, especially in the second half. Now, Darmstadt remains in 14th place in the table with eight points. Next Sunday (October 12th), the Lilies will play away against SV Weiterstadt at 2pm. Good luck, boys!
Since July 2024, the SVD has had an official partnership with San Antonio FC from the US state of Texas – San Antonio is one of Darmstadt’s twin cities. In addition, there is the SVD Beaumont club, which was founded with the support of Lilien fans in Texas. In the summer of 2025, joint Lilien soccer camps were held in the USA for the first time – one of several concrete measures. Martin Kowalewski, Managing Director of Marketing & Sales at SV 98, also visited the United States on the occasion of these camps. In addition to the soccer camps, he also visited San Antonio FC and the Spurs & Sports Entertainment Group. We have summarised this visit on our YouTube-Channel as well as sv98.de.
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.