Killian Corredor has been wearing the Lily on his chest for almost a year. For the Frenchman, who moved to South Hesse in August 2024, this is his first summer preseason with SV 98. We met the 24-year-old at the training camp in Bad Wörishofen to talk about his first year as a Lily. In an interview with sv98.de, Corredor discusses his strong scoring stats, the differences between football in France and Germany, and his ongoing preseason. He also reveals why he enjoys being fouled and the importance of head coach Florian Kohfeldt for his development.
sv98.de: Killian, before we talk about last season and the current preseason. Anyone who’s seen your vacation photos might have gotten the impression that you’ve supplied all of France with Corredor jerseys…
Killian Corredor: (laughs) That’s true, my entire family and friends own Darmstadt jerseys and wear them often in their free time. I’ve probably bought 100 already. And now we have the new jersey, which I really like because of its vintage style. I’ll probably have to buy 200 of them. (laughs) It makes me very happy when family and friends wear the jersey and show that they’re proud of me and want to support me in this way.
In general, the support from your hometown seems to be great. Your parents are also often in Darmstadt…
Exactly, my parents and my friends are in Darmstadt regularly, and they even attended three home games. My girlfriend lives with me in Darmstadt anyway. My family is very passionate about football; my little brother is also a professional. We talk to each other every day; I’m a bit of a role model for him, too.
How satisfied was your family with your first season in Darmstadt?
Very satisfied. It was my first year outside of France, but it was decent.
So you’re also quite happy with your first season? 14 points is a strong haul, after all.
Yes, it was a good season for me. I was also very happy that I played in every game after my transfer. Nevertheless, I hope my next season will be even better. Eight goals and six assists are a good haul, but why shouldn’t I also be able to score ten goals and provide ten assists? (laughs)
What are you more pleased about: scoring or assisting?
I love both. So there’s no favourite.
What was your best goal for Darmstadt so far?
The goal against Fürth. A beautiful goal, and also my first goal for Darmstadt.
What differences have you noticed in general between football in France and Germany?
The intensity is different. The players are physically stronger than in France, and the game is very tough. However, I also think the referees in Germany are better. And the stadiums are, of course, incredible.
You mentioned physicality. Last season, you were the second-most fouled player in the league. Doesn’t that get annoying sometimes?
No, I like it. (grins) I love dribbling, and when I get fouled, it always feels like a small victory. Because I showed in that duel that I’m better.
Now let’s look ahead. You’re completing your first summer preseason with Darmstadt. How have the weeks so far been going?
I’m enjoying it. I feel very good and satisfied. Sometimes you get a little tired, but that’s normal at this stage. The anticipation for next season is much greater.
Compared to last summer, not much has changed in the squad; a few players left, some joined. How do you personally view the team?
It’s a very good team. I think it’s important that most of the team has stayed together. And the new signings are really good players.
You spend a lot of time with Merveille Papela and Jean-Paul Boëtius, who both speak French. You always seem to have a lot of fun…
They’ve become good friends and have helped me integrate even better into the team. My initial time here wasn’t easy because of the language, I admit. But that changed thanks to the help of Mey and then Djanga. My English has also improved; I understand a lot more now and can communicate more easily with all the players. So it’s not like I only talk to them (laughs).
You also share a room with Djanga. Is there ever any peace and quiet there?
No, never. (laughs) He’s crazy, but an amazing guy.
Florian Kohfeldt also speaks French. How important is he for you and your development overall?
It helps me a lot that the coach speaks French. It makes it much easier to understand his instructions and advice. Overall, he’s helped me a lot with my development. Before my move, I was always a central striker; here I play a different role. But it’s working well, especially because the coach helps me a lot.
The first few days of training camp are now over. What do you still want to work on here?
On everything. There’s still a lot to do. For each individual player, but of course also for the entire team. We want to be ready for the start of the season and are working hard for that. On our defensive processes. And on our offensive game.
What do you do between intensive training sessions?
I sleep a lot. (laughs) But I also watch Wimbledon and, of course, the Tour de France.
Who is your favourite rider?
Pogacar. He’s incredible.
You’ve also known for a few weeks that the season opens with a game against relegated Bundesliga team Bochum. How are you feeling about the opening game?
I’m really excited. I’m looking forward to our stadium and our fans. We want to start the season with a win.
How important would three points be at the start?
Three points are always the goal. A win would obviously be a good feeling to start the season, so we’re doing everything we can to deliver our best performance on this day.
SV 98 is making changes to the head coaching positions for its U21 and U19 teams for the upcoming season. Sebastian Schmitt, who has been in charge of the U21s since February, will now coach the U19s. Conversely, the current U19 coach, Patrick Kurt, will take over the position with the U21s.
The SV Darmstadt 98 fan shop at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be closed next Monday (June 22nd). It will reopen on Tuesday (June 23rd) with its regular opening hours.
Where are the Darmstadt 98 players spending their summer holidays? We'll give you a brief overview. Furthermore, SV 98 welcomed their first new signing, Noah Weißhaupt, to the Böllenfalltor stadium this week, and the club's veterans team will be playing two matches again this weekend. We'll keep you up-to-date with all the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 in our "Lilies Across the Board" section.
At the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor against FC Homburg: Ticket sales for the friendly match on July 14, 2026, at 6pm against the regional league team begin on June 18 at noon. Tickets are available as usual at the ticket office at the stadium and in our online ticket shop. We would also like to draw your attention to this very special match day: The friendly against FC Homburg will put our youngest fans in the spotlight, giving them their first ever children's match day at the stadium, an event never before seen at the Merck Stadium.
Fabio Torsiello will also play for Alemannia Aachen next season. SV 98 is loaning the 21-year-old attacking player to the third-division club for another season. Aachen also has an option to sign him permanently.
SV 98 has secured an offensive boost. Noah Weißhaupt will wear the Lilies' jersey in the future. The 24-year-old is transferring from SC Freiburg to Darmstadt.
For organisational reasons, SV 98 is postponing the first team training session of its summer preparation to June 28th. The session was originally scheduled for June 27th at the SV Winterkasten grounds in the Odenwald region.
Darmstadt 98 will play their final pre-season friendly against English Championship side Portsmouth FC. The match will take place on August 1st at 2pm at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
The season is currently suspended, and the start of the new second division season is still some time away. Nevertheless, attention is already turning to the upcoming season: Starting Friday (June 12th) at 12 noon, club members without a current season ticket can purchase their season ticket for the 2026/27 season. Tickets will be available both online and at the ticket office at the stadium.
With the sales of Fraser Hornby and Isac Lidberg, SV 98 has generated considerable transfer revenue. We spoke with President Markus Pfitzner about the right moment for such transfers and the balancing act between financial stability and sporting ambition.
This coming weekend (June 13th & 14th), the veterans team will be playing two matches. We'll give you all the details. We also celebrated two birthdays this week and have several events coming up. At the same time, we're keeping an eye on how our partner club, San Antonio FC, is doing. We've compiled all this and more for you in this edition of Lilies Across the Board.
