Alexander Kynaß has been training the goalkeepers of SV 98 for more than a year. During the training camp, we sat down with the 37-year-old to talk about his career path, his work with the keepers, and many other topics.
Hiroki Akiyama has featured in 16 of Darmstadt's 17 second-division matches so far, always starting in the first team. The Japanese player has settled in incredibly quickly with Darmstadt and has long since become an important part of the squad. Thanks to modern technology, we were able to conduct our first interview with the 25-year-old at their training camp in El Saler. We spoke with Hiro about his move to Germany, the season so far, and many other topics.
The winter break is over and Darmstadt 98 are already in Spain near Valencia, more precisely at the Hotel Parador de El Saler. The week-long training camp offers ideal conditions for athletic preparation for the second half of the season and is equally important for team cohesion. In this „Lilies Training Camp Edition,“ we take a look at the current situation in El Saler.
Darmstadt lost the first of two midseason friendlies against SV Wehen Wiesbaden 1-0 (1-0) in Oliva Nova. Lukas Schleimer scored the only goal of the game in the 44th minute on a difficult pitch.
With medical checks, athletic training, and their first session on the pitch, the Darmstadt 98 first team has officially kicked off 2026. This marks the start of SV Darmstadt 98's preparations for the second half of the 2025/26 second division season.
SV 98 welcomes back a familiar face as they begin their preparations for the second half of the season. Matthias Neumann will now serve as head of the professional players department. The 34-year-old previously worked for the Lilies for a total of eight years, from 2017 to 2025, before taking up a position as head of the professional players department at 1. FC Kaiserslautern in June 2025.
In Germany alone, someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest approximately every eight minutes – often in the midst of everyday life, while playing sports, or as a spectator in the stands. Medical emergencies also occur frequently in and around stadiums. In these moments, it is often the people present who must act first before the emergency services arrive. The crucial thing is to have the courage to act and to know what to do.
SV Darmstadt 98 have exercised their option to buy Hiroki Akiyama, as stipulated in the loan agreement with Albirex Niigata. This means the existing loan will become a permanent contract at the end of the season. The club and the 25-year-old Japanese player have agreed on the relevant contract terms.
Under the emblem of the Lily, SV Darmstadt 98 stands for community, responsibility, and solidarity. The club sees itself as an active part of society and embodies values that extend far beyond football. Respect, openness, and cooperation characterise its actions both on and off the pitch. Thus, in the second half of 2025, SV 98 implemented numerous projects focusing on sustainability and social responsibility. An overview follows.
Since this season, the foreword to the Lilienkurier has been written by the sporting director of SV Darmstadt 98. Paul Fernie is keen to regularly address the SV 98 fans. He writes about the Lilies' scouting, the development of their counter-attacking game, and uses his own experience to illustrate the importance of communication. Here you can find Paul's monthly greetings at a glance.