A bitter defeat at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion. The Lilies lost 2-1 to 1. FC Kaiserslautern despite a passionate performance and a good performance. How do the two head coaches assess the 90 minutes at the Betzenberg? What do goalscorer Luca Marseiler and sporting director Paul Fernie have to say? We've compiled all the comments from the game for you.
„Congratulations to Torsten and FCK on the win. We were the better team over the 90 minutes, and I’d like to commend my team for that. For us, it’s no longer about survival, but about midfield positions. To deliver such an emotional and footballing performance shows the character of this team. It’s a real shame that we’re going home without any points.“
„There are many voices and opinions on today’s decisions; it’s not necessary for me to give my opinion on them.“
„We certainly weren’t always perfect today. With the switch to a back four, we found better access and were more likely to find crosses. But these weren’t precise enough. We still had a good phase in the first half, with Darmstadt repeatedly threatening through deep runs. My team kept their heart on the pitch and has the great strength to come back after falling behind. Today was a tough battle, and we also had the necessary luck in one or two situations. We shouldn’t hide that.“
„Basically, I’m satisfied with today’s performance. We were the better and more dangerous team, although Kaiserslautern also had some good phases. Unfortunately, the game was decided by the referee’s decisions, which is hard to accept. It took six or seven minutes for the penalty to be awarded to Kaiserslautern, and after looking at the footage, I have to say it wasn’t a penalty. For the second goal, the referee’s positional play was catastrophic, but the game continued anyway. Fraser Hornby’s obstruction left us completely open, and we conceded a goal. I can’t accept that. It’s hard enough to play here at the Betzenberg in front of 50,000 people. Decisions like that make it impossible. Nevertheless, we never gave up and fought until the end.“
„Basically, it was a good game from us, although we could have played some situations better, especially in the first half. The goals we conceded are obviously very bitter, but that’s a different story. During the penalty, the ball bounced in front of me, then there was a press, and I got to the ball a bit earlier. I can’t understand why the penalty was awarded. But during the ten minutes of VAR, every tiny detail was scrutinised. The story of how the 1-2 came about is also extremely bitter; we conceded the goal due to the referee’s positioning. But I’d rather look at our performance, and it was impressive. Unfortunately, it didn’t yield the right result.“
„There were a few things today that I couldn’t understand. The penalty shouldn’t have been awarded, especially because the referee initially judged the on-field challenge to be a press-up, which, in my opinion, it was. On the second goal, our player was clearly obstructed by the referee. The referee said that according to the rules, he’s not allowed to intervene, but I do think he should have a sense of the fact that he was blocking our player and thus allowing the goal. Overall, I’m proud of the team, which gave it their all until the end. This game is very difficult to evaluate, but our sheer performance makes me look forward to the future with optimism.“
Attention Lilien fans: During SV Darmstadt 98’s training camp in Bad Wörishofen (Allgäu region)—taking place from July 19th to July 26th, 2026—there will once again be an opportunity to meet the team, chat with the players, and, of course, get autographs and photos. The fan meet-up is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th, following the friendly match against SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. Kick-off for the match is at 12pm.
SV 98 remains active in the transfer market. The "Lilies" have signed Christopher Lannert from Arminia Bielefeld.
Friendly matches, fundraising campaigns, and plenty of photos—that’s what the week looked like for SV 98 and the club’s community. Between their 5–1 victory over FC Homburg and the upcoming friendly in Walldorf this Friday (July 17), the „Lilies“ showed their best side for the cameras. In addition, the SV 98 legends team will face an Odenwald select squad on Sunday (July 19th). You can also win great prizes in competitions taking place in Erbach and at the pop-up store in downtown Darmstadt. Lilies Across the Board brings you all the latest news from life at SV 98.
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.