From the football pitch to social institutions in Darmstadt and the surrounding area. The professionals of SV Darmstadt 98 created some very special moments for young and old alike with their visits during the pre-Christmas season. We also report on two topics from the Lilies‘ youth academy and offer a few tips if you’re still looking for the perfect blue-and-white Christmas gifts. You can read these and other news items in our weekly column „Lilies Across the Board.“
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.
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.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.
SV Darmstadt 98 successfully completed their second pre-season friendly, defeating Verbandsliga side VfR Fehlheim 8-0 (4-0).
