How excited are the fans for the last game of the year? What makes SC Paderborn so strong? And what about SV Darmstadt 98's focus? Florian Kohfeldt answered these and other questions on Thursday (December 18th) ahead of the Lilies' match in East Westphalia (December 19th/6:30pm). We've compiled the most important statements from our head coach's press conference for you.
Personnel update: All players are available.
We’re really looking forward to Paderborn. Not because we’re looking at the league table, but because I’ve noticed since Sunday’s final whistle against Münster that the team is incredibly eager to play this game. It will be a challenging match against a very good team. We’re going to Paderborn with the feeling that we’ll get our chances. We have a full squad to choose from. We’ve also been training well. I would even say that we trained exceptionally well today, especially in our final training session. We’re looking forward to a top-class match against one of the league’s top teams. We want to deliver another excellent performance and, ideally, take all three points home.
Paderborn had the longest winning streak this season, winning eight games in a row at one point. They have a lot of self-confidence – especially at home. Their style of play is characterised by a mix of a possession-based approach and a lot of long, deep balls with frequent switches of play. This makes them very difficult to press. They have excellent defensive organization and are very compact. They also have many young players with high individual quality. Paderborn has a home game on Friday and gained a lot of confidence in Karlsruhe. They’ll have high ambitions. I think it will be a pretty exciting match.
I haven’t given any thought to Christmas or the winter break because my focus is solely on Paderborn. Therefore, I won’t be drawing any conclusions about the first half of the season yet. We’re only concentrating on what’s coming up, and that’s the game on Friday in Paderborn. What’s characterised us in the first half of the season since day one is that we’ve focused only on the games and have been fully present in 99 percent of cases. We have great respect for Paderborn, but we’re full of energy that we want to show on Friday.
With Fraser, we could have taken a big risk against Münster. However, we decided to give him a normal week of training. He had a good week and is in my considerations for the starting eleven. Whether he’ll be ready for 90 minutes, I don’t know. The fact that Fraser and Fabian Nürnberger are back is very important overall. Nevertheless, we’ve shown in recent weeks that we can find other solutions. The fundamental DNA of our team is the high and aggressive pressing, which we’ve implemented for a very high percentage of playing time this season. Having both of them back expands our options.
Not many games were truly in doubt in recent weeks; we just didn’t have a comfortable lead in them. If there’s one thing we need to discuss in recent weeks, it’s our efficiency. Just one goal against Münster and only three against Karlsruhe were insufficient considering the chances we created. That’s why the games looked closer in the end than they actually were. Overall, though, we’ve developed a certain composure, allowing us to see out close games calmly and without panicking.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
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.