In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
Nicolas Verkooijen has only been in Darmstadt for a few weeks, but he’s already settled in perfectly with the Lilies. This was evident during his media session on Wednesday (August 26th) and is due not only to the team, but also to a shared passion in the locker room: Kickbase. „I have Gadou and Ansah,“ the Belgian revealed about his current team. He’s already sold Wimmer, however. His squad is still „a work in progress.“
The 19-year-old is also working diligently on his language skills for his new life in Germany. Every day he tries to learn some German. His favourite word so far is already clear: „Genau.“
The Belgian grew up speaking Dutch and, as he says himself, „feels a bit Dutch.“ Accordingly, he often uses their shared language in conversations with Milan Smit, Ibrahim El Kadiri, and Lance Duijvestijn, even though English or German is predominantly spoken in the locker room.
Verkooijen is feeling very comfortable in Darmstadt. „It’s a very good feeling to be here. The group is very nice, everyone gets along well.“ The new signing also seems to have settled in quickly on the training pitch. He is often one of the last to leave the field.
I like being on the pitch. I like scoring goals.
Two thousand six hundred sixty-six euros and ten cents. That is the donation amount that the association for children with cancer and chronic illnesses Darmstadt / Rhine-Main-Neckar e.V. received from the Silver Lilies.
Since 1987, they have supported families whose child has cancer or a chronic illness. Services offered include psychosocial support, counseling, and assistance for the entire family. Psychomotor therapy, working with clay, music education, and animal-assisted therapy provide additional support for the emotional processing of the illness.
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, houses, and clubhouses now stand, Darmstadt’s football history was once written. On German Football History Day, 35 participants embarked on a special journey of discovery in the professional team’s bus. From the first-place finishes of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to their current home at the Böllenfalltor stadium.
Clemens Riedel started for Espanyol Barcelona against Real Madrid last weekend, facing off against the likes of Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé, and Jude Bellingham. The 23-year-old put up a strong fight, stopping Vinícius in a spectacular one-on-one situation and even forcing Thibaut Courtois into a save with his own shot. Riedel was substituted late in the game after receiving a yellow card. Espanyol ultimately lost the match 2-1 after conceding a goal in the 90th minute.
Riedel’s presence on this stage today has a blue-and-white history: in 2019, he joined Darmstadt’s youth academy, and two years later, he made his professional debut. The centre-back made a total of 84 appearances for SV Darmstadt 98 before making the move to Espanyol Barcelona in the summer of 2015. We wish our former youth player continued success in Spain!
Executive Board representative Uwe Kuhl celebrated his birthday on Monday (August 24th). We congratulate him warmly and wish him all the best!
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.
Once again this season, our premium partner ENTEGA is creating unique stadium experiences. For every home match, you can win two VIP fan seats in the main stand and also gain access to the ENTEGA VIP Lounge. The application deadline for the match against Hannover is Thursday (August 27th) at 12pm.
It was a hard-fought effort that SV 98 ultimately managed to bring to a successful conclusion in Jena. The 2–1 victory in the first round of the DFB-Pokal not only secured their progression in the competition but also delivered that long-awaited winning feeling. Here is our analysis of the victory.
SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team defeated FC Gießen 3–0 (1–0). After five matchdays, Patrick Kurt’s squad remains unbeaten, having celebrated their first home win and kept a clean sheet for the first time.
Matej Maglica’s time with the Lilies comes to an end after a total of 81 competitive matches. The 27-year-old centre-back is moving to the Turkish top-flight club Kocaelispor.
The Lilies have reached the second round after a hard-fought cup match in Jena. We’ve rounded up the post-match reactions for you.
SV 98 has secured a spot in the next round of the DFB-Pokal. The Lilies won 2–1 (2–1) away at FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Milan Smit (11th minute) and Lance Duijvestijn (41st minute) sealed the victory against the Regionalliga side.
Cup action for the Lilies. In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, SV 98 are away at FC Carl Zeiss Jena (August 23, 3:30pm). Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting lineup compared to the match in Dresden: Manolo Merx starts in place of Yosuke Furukawa, and Raoul Petretta starts instead of Florian Kleinhansl. Hiroki Akiyama is missing from the squad following a relapse due to illness.
Cup action awaits! On Sunday (August 23, 3:30pm), the Lilies kick off their campaign in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. The trip takes them to the ad hoc arena at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in Jena—Thuringia’s "City of Light." 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? As always, we’ve gathered all the key information about the game against Carl Zeiss Jena for you in "Matchday Guide."