Darmstadt 98 will play their final pre-season friendly against English Championship side Portsmouth FC. The match will take place on August 1st at 2pm at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
For their final test, a true club steeped in tradition comes to the Bölle: Portsmouth FC. Founded in 1898, the club from the port city of Portsmouth on England’s south coast, also known as „Pompey,“ plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Among the greatest achievements in the club’s history are the English league titles won in 1949 and 1950.
A small program of events for all ages will be offered around the match. Further information about this and ticket sales will be announced in the coming weeks.
The season is currently suspended, and the start of the new second division season is still some time away. Nevertheless, attention is already turning to the upcoming season: Starting Friday (June 12th) at 12 noon, club members without a current season ticket can purchase their season ticket for the 2026/27 season. Tickets will be available both online and at the ticket office at the stadium.
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.
This coming weekend (June 13th & 14th), the veterans team will be playing two matches. We'll give you all the details. We also celebrated two birthdays this week and have several events coming up. At the same time, we're keeping an eye on how our partner club, San Antonio FC, is doing. We've compiled all this and more for you in this edition of Lilies Across the Board.
SV Darmstadt 98 is looking for enthusiastic Lilies fans for the new FuFa volunteer team. As a volunteer, you'll support fans and the club around match days and be right in the thick of things in and around the stadium. You can find all the information here.
Browse, sell, and do good at the same time: On Sunday, July 12th, SV Darmstadt 98 is hosting its first Lilies flea market in the forecourt of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. With a focus on family, sustainability, and social cohesion, the event aims to give well-preserved items a second life.
Isac Lidberg is moving to the Bundesliga. SV 98 and Borussia Mönchengladbach have agreed on a transfer for the Swedish striker.
The pairings for the first round of the DFB Cup have been drawn: SV Darmstadt 98 will face FC Carl Zeiss Jena away from home. The draw took place on Saturday evening (June 6th) at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Under the supervision of DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth, Referee of the Year 2026, Deniz Aytekin, who acted as the draw's host live on ARD, drew the match between Darmstadt and Jena.
From the warm opening ceremony to the awards ceremony: The German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt offered exciting games, many wonderful encounters and a well-deserved German champion in the Hesse selection, which also included players from the SV 98 ID team.
The first dates for SV 98's preparations for the 2026/27 second division season have been set: On June 25th, the professional team will return to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor to undergo various medical tests and performance diagnostics. The first team training session will take place on June 27th in the Odenwald region.
Who will SV Darmstadt 98 face in the first round of the DFB Cup? This question will be answered this coming Saturday (June 6th). The draw for the first round will be broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau. We'll be taking a look and providing you with all the information. We'll also be celebrating with the fan team's survival in the Kreisklasse B (eighth tier) and taking a look across the border to Texas in the USA. All this and more for you in "Lilies Across the Board" on Wednesday.
Fraser Hornby's time at Darmstadt 98 comes to an end after three years. The Scottish attacking midfielder is moving to VfL Wolfsburg. Both clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee confidential.
An eight-goal thriller to close out the season. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team took to the pitch one last time this season on Saturday (May 30th) – away against FC Eddersheim. The young Lilies secured a 5-3 victory in Eddersheim, finishing the 2025/26 Hessenliga season in eleventh place. Even more remarkable, however, was the U21's run at the end of the season: the Blue and Whites won their last five matches, scoring an impressive 22 goals in the process.