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.
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.
Lilies at the Wildpark! SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC this coming Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) for the 32nd matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Will Darmstadt's positive record from recent encounters continue? Will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg extend their scoring streak against KSC? And will Fabian Schleusener finally stop scoring against SV 98? We've compiled all the facts and figures for you.
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
At the end of the current season, the partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and Software AG, which has grown over many years, will end due to a strategic realignment of the software company.
The DFB sports court has suspended Patric Pfeiffer for one match following his sending-off against SV Elversberg.
Four goals, three points, and a well-deserved victory in the Hessenliga! At home against VfB 1905 Marburg last Saturday (April 25th), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally celebrated a win after a long wait. Thanks to their confidence, assertiveness in one-on-one situations, and numerous scoring opportunities, the U21s convincingly beat the Marburg team 4-0.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.