It's that time again! The Lilies start the first round of the DFB Cup. Next Sunday (August 18th/3:30pm) SV 98 will face regional league team Teutonia Ottensen. Before the kick-off sounds in FC St. Pauli's Millerntor Stadium, we'll tell you the most interesting facts and figures: What cup history do both teams have? What connections are there to Hamburg-Ottensen? And who from the 98 squad has the most experience in the national cup competition? Together with you we will take a look at the top facts about the game.
SV Darmstadt 98 looks back on a long cup history that includes more than 30 years of experience in this national competition. The highlight of the DFB Cup was the 1986/87 season, when the Lilies played their best cup season to date: after victories against SCC Berlin (3:0), BW Friedrichstadt (2:1) and Fortuna Köln (2:0 ) the men from the Böllenfalltor reached the quarter-finals for the only time so far, where they were narrowly defeated by Hamburger SV (0-1). SV 98 also qualified for the round of 16 a total of eight times – most recently in the 2022/23 season. There the Lilies were eliminated after victories against FC Ingolstadt and Borussia Mönchengladbach, it was a Hessenderby defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt (4-2).
Until this summer, ex-Lilie Immanuel Höhn was part of the Ottensen side and held two different roles at Teutonia Ottensen within a very short space of time. He was initially the Teutons‘ central defender from September 2023 and was used in 14 games. But on February 27th he ended his active career to take over as head coach for his employer. In this role he led the team in another 16 games. He finished the regional league season with Ottensen in 9th place and, by winning the Hamburg State Cup, ensured that Teutonia qualified for the DFB Cup for the third year in a row. Of course, Höhn is no stranger to Darmstadt: he joined the Lilies in the summer of 2016. During his five years at the Bölle, Höhn played a total of 115 games, scored six goals and assisted two more.
There is also another connection to Hamburg-Ottensen. Sebastian Hertner, who played for Darmstadt 98 from 2018 to 2020, was under contract with Teutonia Ottensen from 2022 until this summer. He made a total of 54 appearances for the Black and Whites and then moved to ETSV Hamburg. During his time with the Lilies, Hertner played 373 minutes in seven competitive games.
It was probably one of the greatest successes in the club’s history of FC Teutonia 05 Ottensen when the team qualified for the first round of the DFB Cup for the first time in the 2022/23 season. There the Hamburg team met the team from Leipzig, the eventual cup winners, and had to admit defeat to the Saxons 0:8. Even at their next attempt a year later against Bayer Leverkusen, the Black and Whites did not manage to book their ticket for the second round. Here too they lost 8-0, also against the eventual cup winners.
Which Lily has the most cup experience? Tobias Kempe is the leader in these statistics. The number eleven of the Lilies was used in a total of 18 DFB Cup games – seven of which he played for SV Darmstadt 98. He is followed by Fabian Holland with just one game less. The injured Darmstadt captain has 17 cup games to his name – 16 for the Lilies, one for Hertha BSC. Klaus Gjasula and Marcel Schuhen, who have twelve and ten appearances in the DFB Cup respectively, are also experienced players in the competition.
Karol Niemczycki is our cup goalkeeper, Torsten Lieberknecht announced after completing summer preparation. The Polish keeper of the Lilies is about to make his competitive debut in the SV Darmstadt 98 jersey. Meanwhile, Niemczycki should have fond memories of the DFB Cup. Last season he made it to the semi-finals while playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf and also had his share of success: the 25-year-old came in the victories in the second round against third division club Unterhaching (6:3 n.V.) and in the round of 16 against 1.FC Magdeburg (2:1).
The second consecutive away game, and the last of the season, is upon us. Once again on a Sunday (May 10th, 1:30pm), Darmstadt will be playing away – this time against SC Preußen Münster. Everything you need to know for your final away trip of the season to the LVM-Preußenstadion, about three and a half hours away, can be found here in the usual fan information section.
There's a lot going on at the Bölle. The 98th Darmstadt baby of 2026, along with their family, visited the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, and they weren't the only ones. Where else the Bölle gang has ended up, and many more news items about the club, can be found here in our "Lilies Across the Board" section, as every Wednesday.
SV Darmstadt 98 informed all season ticket holders about the season ticket procedure for the 2026/27 season on Wednesday (May 6th) and would also like to share this letter on the club's own website.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.