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.
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.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.