The competitive season of 2026 kicks off! Darmstadt 98 will start their second half of the season on Sunday (January 18th, 1:30pm) away against VfL Bochum. How does Florian Kohfeldt assess their upcoming opponent? What is Darmstadt 98's approach? And how much are they looking forward to the second half of the season? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday afternoon (January 16th) ahead of the match at the Ruhrstadion. We've summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Killian Corredor is out with a hip problem. It is not yet clear when he will be available again. Bartosz Bialek, who suffered a knock to his ankle in the friendly against Wehen Wiesbaden, will also be unavailable for the match in Bochum. Matthias Bader will be out for the next few weeks due to a knee injury (see separate report). Fabian Nürnberger has returned to full team training. Paul Will is also back in full training.
It’s a remarkable effect Uwe Rösler has achieved in Bochum – in terms of points, but also regarding the team’s style of play. VfL Bochum has a good mix of experience and youth. Their style is clearly focused on counter-attacks and set pieces. Furthermore, you can’t forget their early crosses and their aggressive box coverage, sometimes with up to six players. Bochum radiates incredible energy overall. This is primarily what has led to this turnaround. They’re picking up points and playing the kind of football everyone expected before the season. Moreover, the Ruhrstadion in Bochum is a special stadium – compact, loud, and very demanding. I really like it. The match against VfL Bochum is a very special challenge that we’re really looking forward to.
During our preparations, we had a few issues with illness and injuries. Nevertheless, we’re full of confidence. We know what we’re capable of. Now comes the decisive phase; now it’s about points again. We’re aware of the difficulty of the task in Bochum. We have great respect for VfL Bochum. But we’re confident enough to say: We have a plan for how we want to win in Bochum.
We’re incredibly excited. Competition is why we do all this. Of course, competition brings pressure. Sunday will be the first time you’ll be judged on how good you are. We’re really looking forward to it and are all eager for the game and the second half of the season.
We were very satisfied with our points total in the first half of the season and were also happy with many of our matches. However, we weren’t completely satisfied. At times, we didn’t always execute the basics well. Am I disciplined enough with these simple things and implementing them consistently? We didn’t always manage that. Therefore, for all of us, it’s crucial to do the basics well. Then we have a great chance of winning games. This applies not only to the game itself, but also to our preparation. We must always be diligent and always well-prepared.
As a club, we’ve become so structurally stable that absences don’t derail our work. We’re a far cry from the injury situation of last year. I’d like to remind you that, for example, we travelled to Braunschweig with only eleven fit outfield players. We’ll be traveling to Bochum with a 20-man squad. And when I look at the squad, there’s a lot of quality there. We’ve been given a few obstacles. But the question is how we deal with them. I can feel it in myself, in the staff, whom I must commend highly for the past few weeks, and in the team, that we’ll overcome these obstacles and not use them as an excuse.
On Sunday, the Lilies face a challenge in Baden: for the 8th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 travel to take on Karlsruher SC. At the pre-match press conference, our head coach discussed the squad situation, the qualities of the opposition, and the team's motivation to get back to winning ways on the road.
On Sunday (October 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. KSC has a history that extends well beyond the confines of German football: the club from Baden once caused a stir on the European stage, writing a chapter that is still remembered today. But how did KSC manage to step into the international spotlight, and what made this success so special?
The next away match is coming up: this Sunday (October 18th, 1:30pm), the Lilien will visit Karlsruher SC for the 8th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. As always, you can find all the essential information regarding travel and your visit to the stadium in the fan guidelines.
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: