A few weeks ago, Markus Pfitzner, Anne Baumann, and Volker Harr announced their re-election to the executive committee at the next SV Darmstadt 98 general meeting this fall. Pfitzner is running for president, Baumann for the position of executive committee member for finance, and Harr for vice president for sales.
The remaining members of the team, which will face the members‘ vote in the fall, have now been confirmed: Arnd Zinnhardt, for the position of Vice President for Strategy & Development, and Roy Reinelt-Peter, for the position of Chairman of the Board of the Sports Departments/Fan and Support Department, complete the team of candidates. Current club president Rüdiger Fritsch and Wolfgang Arnold, representing the amateur departments, had previously announced that they would not run again in the upcoming elections.
After studying business administration and working at the auditing firm Ernst & Young, among others, Arnd Zinnhardt spent a large part of his professional career at Software AG. Zinnhardt served as Chief Financial Officer of what was once Germany’s second-largest software company from 2002 to 2020. Today, he is an entrepreneur in the IT industry.
On the Software AG side, Zinnhardt was also responsible for jersey sponsorship for the Lilies in 2008. His involvement began during an existentially threatening economic crisis for the Lilies and was a key component in saving the club. Over the years, he worked closely and trustingly with the executive committees led by Hans Kessler and Rüdiger Fritsch. Arnd Zinnhardt has been a member of the Lilies‘ administrative board since 2021.
Roy Reinelt-Peter lives in the Martinsviertel district and is the managing director of the DIGITAL DIALOG agency. His first stop with the 98ers was in 1993 as an active player in the table tennis department. He saw his first soccer game at the Bölle in 1994 in the Regionalliga Süd.
After studies and work took him away from Darmstadt, the 44-year-old has been a regular at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor for over ten years. Reinelt-Peter has been in the Fan and Support Department since 2016 and has been a member of the department management since 2018 – initially as an assessor, then as deputy department head, and for the past two years as department head. Reinelt-Peter has also been a member of the Fan Advisory Board since 2018 and has played a key role in digitalization project management, supporting important projects such as the „WirLilien“ app.
Presidential candidate Markus Pfitzner: „Anne, Volker, and I are delighted that we were able to recruit Arnd and Roy, two Lilies with a wealth of professional expertise and passion, for our candidate team. It was important to us in our selection to cover the broadest possible range of skills, especially in the business sector. In the coming weeks and months leading up to the general meeting, we will present our common goals and listen carefully to the Lilies family. Open communication and transparency will be an essential part of our agenda!“
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.