With the sales of Fraser Hornby and Isac Lidberg, SV 98 has generated considerable transfer revenue. We spoke with President Markus Pfitzner about the right moment for such transfers and the balancing act between financial stability and sporting ambition.
sv98.de: Markus, with the sales of Fraser Hornby and Isac Lidberg, there has certainly been some movement at SV 98 in recent days. What is your perspective on these two transfers from a presidential standpoint?
Markus Pfitzner: „It’s never easy to let go of key players. Nevertheless, these sales, in light of the development of both players, represent an absolute success story for us because they exemplify the path we want to take. Transfer revenue is a crucial pillar of our long-term financing. With the transfers of Fraser and Isac, we have already generated the largest transfer fee in a single transfer window in our club’s history. Considering their remaining contract terms of one year each, now was the right moment to agree to their departures in the event of market-appropriate offers.“
You mentioned the scale of the transfer revenue. Do such figures sometimes still seem a bit unreal to you in connection with your SV 98?
„Not too long ago, it would have been almost unimaginable that we could generate these sums with our players. That speaks volumes about our development. In the recent past, we rarely managed to generate significant transfer fees for our key players. That has now changed. Paul Fernie often talks about how we want to sell with pleasure when the time is right. Player development and sporting success combined with the goal of eventually generating transfer revenue. This way of thinking and acting is essential for survival in the modern football business.“
What does this mean for SV 98?
„We are in a sound financial position and must continue to avoid doing things that don’t make economic sense. However, transfer revenue, along with media revenue, sponsorship, and ticketing, is a crucial factor in maintaining and ideally further expanding our financial stability. We want to continue growing, address infrastructure issues, and service our loans from the stadium renovation. Furthermore, we are facing rising costs in numerous areas within our club. Therefore, it’s a fact that we must also allocate a portion of transfer revenue to our operational budget.“
„We are in a healthy financial position and therefore must include it in our budget for operational expenses.“ At the same time, the club wants to remain ambitious in sporting terms…
„Exactly, it’s quite a balancing act. Transfer revenue shouldn’t be used to plug any holes, but rather to help replace departing players and, ideally, further improve the squad. However, it’s wrong to assume that SV 98 will go on a major shopping spree this summer with overflowing coffers. Paul has proven in the past that he can find outstanding solutions even with our resources. Isac is a perfect example of this. It’s also clear, though, that not every new player can be an instant success. What’s important is that the entire club is convinced of the path we’ve chosen and that we’ve created conditions that allow us to look to the future with great optimism – despite the changes. We’re looking ahead with courage and confidence and are already looking forward to an exciting and successful 2026/27 season.“
Transfer revenues are a key pillar of our long-term financing.
On Sunday, the Lilies face a challenge in Baden: for the 8th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 travel to take on Karlsruher SC. At the pre-match press conference, our head coach discussed the squad situation, the qualities of the opposition, and the team's motivation to get back to winning ways on the road.
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The next away match is coming up: this Sunday (October 18th, 1:30pm), the Lilien will visit Karlsruher SC for the 8th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. As always, you can find all the essential information regarding travel and your visit to the stadium in the fan guidelines.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
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Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
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After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here: