What awaits the Lilies on Saturday evening (March 15th at 8:30pm) in Köln? How does Florian Kohfeldt view the clash with Effzeh? And what will SV Darmstadt 98 need to do to successfully defeat the second-placed team in the 2. Bundesliga? The SV 98 head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Thursday (March 13th). We've summarised Kohfeldt's most important comments for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Holland, Matthias Bader, Paul Will, Christoph Zimmermann, as well as Philipp Förster, Kai Klefisch, Oscar Vilhelmsson, and Othmane El Idrissi are unavailable. Fabian Nürnberger is only out for this match due to a red card suspension. Will, Bader, and El Idrissi will not be available again this season – the same likely applies to Zimmermann.
As in recent weeks, the team was and remains very concentrated and focused. They have a good mix of relaxedness and focus. I haven’t noticed any change in the tension. The coaching staff consciously decided to have a long training week with five training days. This week, we continued to work on our core skills with full concentration and made good use of the week. Unfortunately, due to the many injuries, we still have a small training group available. The team is still very positive.
1. FC Köln is a team that wants to be promoted. And they’re absolutely justified. Overall, they probably have the best squad in the league, with many first-division players. Alongside HSV, they’re the number one favourite for promotion. Given all the constraints—including, of course, the stadium, which we’re looking forward to—they’re actually a first-division team. They’ve achieved many good results this season. Overall, Köln is very stable, concedes few goals, and plays with a very mature and cohesive approach. Added to that is the high level of individual quality.
Köln is the clear favourite on Saturday evening. They’re under pressure to win. We know we’re consistent in our performances, so we’re traveling to Köln with great enthusiasm and excitement. We want to stay true to what we stand for. We want to have the ball in Köln as well and develop attacking solutions. To do that, we need courage and conviction, as well as the right risk assessment. I expect us to be physically ready to leave everything, absolutely everything, on the pitch. We’ll certainly have to solve things defensively through intensity. If we’re up for it—and I sense that we are—it can be a great evening.
We see the game as something of an experience. It will be a game in front of a fantastic crowd. Köln has one of those stadiums, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s one of the football locations in Germany. We have an outstanding stadium here at Bölle. But you can also feel the magic of football in Köln. We want to enjoy that.
The last few weeks have been a real effort for everyone involved—not just for the players, but also for the entire staff, who have delivered top performances. The last few weeks have been very draining due to the personnel situation with many injuries, as well as the results. The break is therefore a good time for us. We will also use it to give everyone a few days off so we can start the rest of the season full of energy. But first, we’re off to Köln.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.