The Lilien family had to cope with two farewells at the general meeting on Tuesday evening (October 21st): Rüdiger Fritsch and Wolfgang Arnold bid an emotional farewell to their positions. Markus Pfitzner was also elected as the new president of SV Darmstadt 98. Furthermore, the hiking department is approaching a special anniversary, and of course, there will still be soccer games. You can read about these and other topics in our weekly column "Lilien Across the Board."
SV Darmstadt 98 has a new president: Markus Pfitzner was unanimously elected as Rüdiger Fritsch’s successor by the members present at the general meeting on Tuesday evening (October 21st). „We bring a great deal of complementary skills and will also look at issues from different perspectives, which I consider a great strength. We will work reliably, seriously, but also very ambitiously to further strengthen our economic path. We want a stable and independent SV 98!“ Pfitzner emphasised at the general meeting. He will pursue this path as part of a team. The SV 98 executive committee is completed by Volker Harr and Arnd Zinnhardt, as well as Anne Baumann and Roy Reinelt-Peter.
Rüdiger Fritsch, the long-time president of SV Darmstadt 98, has stepped down from his position after 13 years. He served on the Lilies‘ executive board for a total of 17 years. Under his leadership, the club experienced remarkable development. From dark times, he transformed the Lilies into an ambitious second-division club. He built a solid foundation – both financially and in terms of infrastructure – and prepared the sports club for the future. „It’s a collaborative effort,“ Fritsch emphasised in his farewell speech, in which he thanked fans and members, as well as long-time companions. Above all, he thanked his team consisting of Markus Pfitzner, Volker Harr, Anne Baumann, and Wolfgang Arnold. Addressing them, he said: „We have worked together, laughed, cried, and celebrated all these years. Thank you for unforgettable years – united to always give our best for our glorious club.“ Fritsch ended his speech emotionally with the words: “Goodbye and stay as you are, because one thing is certain: the SVD will never perish!”
In recognition of his outstanding services, Rüdiger Fritsch was named an honorary member of SV Darmstadt 98 with the approval of all members present. Honour where honour is due.
He joined the club in 1990 as a football father and coach of the youth team, and served on the executive board since 1996. What a long time! After a total of 29 years, Wolfgang Arnold said goodbye to the executive board of SV Darmstadt 98 at the general meeting. „At some point, you have to make room for younger talent and complete the generational change,“ he said some time ago. At the general meeting in the Böllenfalltorhalle, Arnold, who had been chairman of the amateur sports departments since 1996, stated: „It has always been important to me to make diversity and commitment visible. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible. Together we have achieved a lot. I am convinced that the sports departments and the fan and support department are in good hands and will continue to develop well.“
In recognition of his many years of outstanding service, Wolfgang Arnold was also named an honorary member of SV Darmstadt 98. After 29 years of service on the executive committee, he was also honored as honorary chairman of the board of the sports departments and the fan and development department. Wolfgang Arnold’s motto also applies: Honour where honour is due!
It’s a busy week for SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team. This Wednesday evening (October 22), the Junglilien (Young Lilies) will host 1. Hanauer FC on the artificial turf pitch at SV 98’s youth academy in Darmstadt. After four consecutive defeats, the Darmstadt team is determined to get back on track. Will they succeed this Wednesday against the bottom team in the LOTTO Hessenliga?
First against the bottom team, then against the league leaders. A special highlight awaits the SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team next Saturday (October 25). Coach Daniel Petrowsky’s team will play their first home game at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor against the Eintracht Frankfurt U21. Kick-off is at 3:30pm. Tickets are available here and at the box office on Saturday.
The hiking department of SV Darmstadt 98 is approaching a very special anniversary. 999 hikes have already been completed. Now, next Sunday (October 26th), a magical milestone will be broken: the 1,000th hike is scheduled! This is remarkable, as each individual hike was at least ten kilometers long. To mark this special occasion, the hiking department, headed by Gerda Krüger, cordially invites all Lilies to join in the hike around Bad König and celebrate the 1,000th hike together.
The hiking department also recommends bringing backpack-sized food for your break, as well as sturdy footwear and hiking poles. Anyone who wants to drive directly to Bad König or doesn’t have a Hessen „Senior Citizen Ticket“ should contact the following person:
Beatrice Simon
Tel: +49 6151 54559
Mobile: +49 160 91866188
Nothing to count for the Lilies‘ fans. Last Wednesday evening (October 15th), the „second second team“ of SV Darmstadt 98 hosted the second team of SG Arheilgen at home. The Lilies fell behind in the sixth minute after an early goal from the visitors. Despite a committed effort, the Darmstadt team initially failed to create any dangerous scoring opportunities. In the 32nd minute, Arheilgen increased their lead to 2-0. Even after the break, the visitors continued to dominate the game and extended their lead to 3-0 in the 65th minute. Only then did Darmstadt show more resistance: Julian Schreiber created a brief glimmer of hope with the goal after 76 minutes to make it 3-1. But Arheilgen was not to be deterred, retaining control and scoring in the 84th minute to make it 4-1.
This leaves the „second second team“ in twelfth place in the Kreisliga B with eleven points. In the away game next Sunday (October 26th), the Lilies‘ fan base will be on the attack again to keep up with the midfield. Kick-off against SKV Hähnlein is at 3pm on the grass pitch in Alsbach-Hähnlein.
On Saturday (October 25th), Alexander Ryan celebrates his special day. The Head of Performance can look forward to his 37th birthday. We wish you all the best and a day filled with joy and wonderful moments, Alex!
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
