Gift ideas for Lily fans | Lilies on a pre-Christmas mission

In the days leading up to Christmas, the professionals of SV Darmstadt 98 left their football routine behind and visited various social institutions in and around Darmstadt. The focus wasn’t on sport, but on community. Whether at the Nieder-Ramstadt Diakonie, the Z 14 residential and overnight care home, the „DA-HEIM“ therapeutic group home, the Bärenfamilie (Bear Family) children’s home, or the Darmstadt Children’s Hospital: everywhere the Lilies players took time for meaningful encounters. There was laughter, conversation, games, baking, and, of course, posing for photos and autographs. The joy was especially great over small tokens of appreciation: tickets to the Merck Christmas carol concert, as well as gifts and fan merchandise, brought smiles to the faces of young and old alike. The visits made it clear that, especially during Advent, it is often the small gestures that make a big difference – and that true connection extends far beyond football.

Christmas is just around the corner and you’re still looking for the perfect gift? No problem – we have the best gift ideas for you! Whether for family or friends: with our suggestions, you’re guaranteed to make the right choice. Our gift ideas are not only practical, but also show genuine affection and support. Perfect for anyone looking for something special or wanting to bring a touch of blue and white joy to their loved ones.

• Bryx Bausatz Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor – Model
• SV 98 Floodlight Collection Hoodie, gray 
• SV 98 Strick Scarf „Sportverein“ 
• SV 98 CRAFT Home Jersey2025/26
• SV 98 Gift Voucher

The Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor in Darmstadt will once again be filled with festive cheer during Advent: On December 22, 2025, the Lilies (SV Darmstadt 98) invite everyone to the grand Darmstadt Christmas Caroling event presented by Merck. Doors open at 4:30pm, and the atmospheric stage program begins at 6:00pm. The event promises a musical and reflective evening for the whole family. Christian Carra from „Strandakustik“ will guide the audience through the evening with a Christmas story. The live band „The Silverballs“ will provide the musical entertainment, the gospel choir „goGospel“ from Traisa will bring a festive atmosphere to the stadium with their songs, and Woody Feldmann will return as a special guest.

Good news from the Darmstadt 98 youth academy. The collaboration with the academy’s partner schools is progressing. For the first time, the Ministry of Education is actively involved in the structure to further strengthen Darmstadt’s role as a hub for school and competitive sports. Björn Kopper, head of the SV Darmstadt 98 youth academy, explained this in an interview with sv98.de. While the Georg-Büchner-School has primarily served as the central partner school in recent years, the concept is now being expanded to include other schools.

The process is still under development and naturally requires time. The youth academy hopes for significant improvements, particularly regarding the scheduling, according to Kopper. The goal is to enable more players to participate in morning training sessions in the future, thereby creating a more professional and performance-oriented environment.

Twice a season – once in the first half and once in the second – a large training event for coaches from Darmstadt and the surrounding region takes place, organised by the Lilies‘ youth academy. Participants now even travel from more distant clubs, so the format reaches around one hundred coaches per session and enjoys great popularity. Another training course will be held next spring in the familiar setting of the main stand at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.

In addition, the youth academy relies on smaller, decentralised measures: Training courses on various training-related topics, such as athleticism and age-appropriate workload management, are offered at partner clubs. Furthermore, interested coaches have the opportunity to observe training sessions at the youth academy at any time. Depending on availability, insights into the work of different age groups can be provided. Since the number of requests is high and the workload varies depending on the season, not every request can be fulfilled immediately – nevertheless, the youth academy strives to make this access possible for as many coaches as possible.

In the Virtual Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 faced the eFootball teams from Bielefeld and Paderborn on Tuesday evening (December 16th). Despite great effort and some good plays, it unfortunately wasn’t enough for a win. The match against Arminia Bielefeld ended in a 6-10 defeat on aggregate. Against Paderborn, the eLilies again showed their fighting spirit on the virtual pitch, but couldn’t find the rewards. In the end, small details decided the outcome of the match, resulting in a narrow 5-6 loss for SV Darmstadt 98. After these two games, SV Darmstadt 98 currently sits in 20th place in the overall standings.