Ahead of the DFB Cup round of 16, Florian Kohfeldt discusses what's crucial against Freiburg, the away support, and his enthusiasm for the competition. On Wednesday (December 3rd, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit SC Freiburg. We've summarised the most important information from the pre-match press conference for you.
Personnel update: Fraser Hornby is out with a thigh muscle injury.
We can be fairly certain that Fraser won’t play for us this week. However, we’re hopeful he’ll be able to play again before Christmas. Unfortunately, it’s the time of year for these kinds of injuries, and so far we haven’t been significantly affected.
Fraser is one of our key players, and he’s also very important for our defensive setup. Nevertheless, I’m convinced that we have someone in Killian Corredor who can fill his role. With Marco Richter, Yosuke Furukawa, and Luca Marseiler, we also have more than enough alternatives in the number 10 position. Therefore, things aren’t falling apart for us. It’s also clear, though, that a player like Fraser, both in terms of his footballing ability and his personality, isn’t easy to replace. Despite that, we’re determined to manage it and are therefore traveling to Freiburg with optimism.
I think it’s fantastic that so many fans are here. I already found the away support in Elversberg, in a very atmospheric stadium, to be outstanding. We’ll need that support again tomorrow evening.
We need to play a more specific style of football than in the league because their individual quality is much higher than any second-division team. We’re talking about a top-eight Bundesliga side, a team that’s also very consistent internationally. They finished fourth in the Europa League and have a strong cup history in recent years. Therefore, we need to be courageous and take our chances at the right moments. We have a parallel with our away game in Bremen last season’s cup, where we almost pulled it off. And we’re more settled now than we were a year ago. So we definitely fancy our chances and want to do everything we can to advance. But of course, we’re not the favourites.
I wouldn’t mind continuing our winning streak against Freiburg. I know a few people in Freiburg with whom I have a history. In every conversation, I got the feeling they were really keen to continue their cup run. So, we’re facing two teams that both have only one goal. There’s no point in going into a cup match just to look good. We want to choose the best possible strategy to absolutely advance to the next round.
The preparation isn’t really any different from a league match. We do have extra time in mind as an additional factor, in terms of the squad and potential substitutions. But the tactical approach and analysis are the same.
Before the DFB Cup match against Schalke, we practiced penalty shootouts. However, we had the shortest possible interval between matches this time, so we didn’t practice penalties. We do practice regularly, though, and work on having a reliable number of penalty takers. Therefore, this wouldn’t catch us unprepared at all.
For me, the DFB Cup is the best competition in Germany because there’s no „afterwards.“ You’re either through or out, and I personally love that. The cup creates stories that don’t happen in a league match. That’s what we’re hoping for on Wednesday. We want to create a mental situation where Freiburg suddenly has something to lose and can’t just continue playing calmly. Those are exactly the kinds of stories that unfold.
For a club, it’s an incredibly great way to create memorable experiences, especially in connection with the fans. These are things that last. You don’t get that very often in a league match. It’s a wonderful competition. In competitive sports, we thrive on competition because you want to compare yourself to others. In the cup, there’s this one match, and afterward, it’s clear how the competition has ended.
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.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.