“Darmstadt 98 can fall down, but staying down is not an option.”

It’s a bizarre situation. We’ve lost six games all season, four of them in the last seven matches. We haven’t won in five games, yet we still have 50 points. At this point last year, the third-placed team had that many points. But of course, we had to shake off that Fürth game; of course, we were frustrated. We then had two options: Give in to resignation. Or—and this is the path we’ve chosen—SV Darmstadt 98 can fall, but staying down is not an option. We want to get up, not stay down. I can promise everyone that.

I hope we have everyone on our side who’s at the stadium on Saturday. We need you! We need that spark of unity again. Normally, everything has to come from the team, and we’ll do everything we can, even if not everything works out. But please, everyone, be there from the very beginning.

For several years now, even through changes in coach and manager, they’ve had the same philosophy of football. They’re an attacking team that uses combination play and various build-up patterns to try and create scoring opportunities. This exact style of play has been consistent for years. That’s what makes them so strong and dangerous. They’re difficult to contain when out of possession. Defensively, the team likes to win the ball back, so they often press high. Another huge factor is that they’ve had very few injuries over the past few seasons. They’ve essentially been playing with their first-choice eleven for the last few weeks. This contributes to their cohesion and automatic movements.

We know what we have to do. Above all, we have to be courageous and take action. And continue to believe in what makes us strong. Because there’s a lot there. We’re also fundamentally difficult to contain when we have the ball. We need to be more successful at breaking down the opponent’s last line of defence. Defensively, we have to stay sharp even in chaotic situations like deflected crosses or second and third balls. We need to handle these situations better. We want to radiate a good dose of self-confidence. We really want to win the home game on Saturday evening, even though we’re facing a very strong opponent. We have to utilise the automatic movements we have within us. We have to be 10,000 percent convinced that we’ll win the ball and not just hope that we will. If that comes back—and we’ll have to work for it—it’s going to be a really great Saturday evening.

In Fürth, we nominally fielded almost the same starting eleven we had in mind before the season. Unfortunately, not everyone was in the form we want them to be. That’s the truth. And this very team has delivered thrilling, active, and passionate performances this season. We’re still the team that has earned the most points after falling behind in this league. I don’t want to let anyone talk us into thinking it’s a mentality issue. Nevertheless, I’m giving very careful consideration to how and with which eleven we’ll play on Saturday.

The team is paramount for Fabian Holland. That’s one of his most outstanding qualities. In his statement, he made it clear that his focus is on the last four games. That alone shows how deeply he embodies the team spirit. During my time here, he was unfortunately in rehabilitation for many months after his cruciate ligament tear. I got to know him as an incredibly ambitious and thoughtful person – with a very pleasant family who are deeply rooted here. He is a symbol of the last ten years of Darmstadt. He is and will remain the one who understands and embodies football as a team sport. That’s no longer a given these days. Fabi leaves as an icon and a legend of this club. He more than deserves it.