The head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 was available to the journalists present on Wednesday (October 2nd) at the press conference before the Lilies' away game at Karlsruher SC (October 4th/6:30pm). Florian Kohfeldt spoke about the upcoming encounter, looked at the opponent as well as his own game idea and the work that still lies ahead of the Lilies. We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Holland, Paul Will and Matthias Bader are missing due to long-term injuries. Christoph Zimmermann is also out. Oscar Vilhelmsson took part in part of the team training on Wednesday (October 2nd) and will also take part in the entire training session on Thursday (October 3rd). However, it is still unclear whether he can be an option for the squad again after a month-long injury break.
Karlsruher SC is coming out of a phase of great stability in recent years. You now want to take the next step. They show that a lot is possible thanks to coordination and stability – Darmstadt 98 also showed the same in the years before promotion to the Bundesliga. There’s a lot going on at KSC. Above all, they do the simple things right. Karlsruhe has good defensive spacing. They know when they want to attack or when they want to fall. In addition, the KSC has extremely high quality in the squad. With Wanitzek they have a player in their ranks who is one of the top 5, if not top 3 players in the league.
We will have our chances against Karlsruhe. But it won’t be a game in which one team dominates the other for 90 minutes. I’m expecting a fast-paced duel between both teams, which I’m really looking forward to. It will be crucial that we use our moments to get the game on our side. We have to continue on the path to performance that I see for us. But we would like to lower our goals conceded average. We also have to continue on our offensive path: we didn’t have many chances to score against Braunschweig. We had a lot of chances against Schalke, but we didn’t have any compelling opportunities in the first half. Now against Magdeburg we had some great chances, but unfortunately we only scored one goal.
In contrast to the KSC, we are in a phase of complete change. We are currently still looking for our stability, although this has become more apparent in the last three games. The very first step is to stabilise ourselves. I think that after our discovery phase – after relegation, a transfer phase with a lot of player changes, long-term injuries and the unforeseen change of coach – we will say something about our goals for the season in the next few weeks. The table situation is not nice. Nevertheless, we are currently only approaching the 8th matchday. Of course points would help us. Ultimately, we don’t have enough of it overall.
We wanted to press Magdeburg high and run them high. We did this in 15 to 20 minutes. But we didn’t want to be frustrated if the pressing failed. And that’s exactly where we’re having a hard time right now. We have to be able to endure these phases in the game. The team has the desire and the conviction to take the path of active defense. But it will still take a moment to maintain that over 60, 70, 80 minutes. Overall, the team has a belief in the way we play football. You notice a positive energy. The approach to games is characterised by the conviction that you can win them. But when we get into the phases mentioned, our stability is not yet high enough to endure and get through them. You can see a development, but it is not yet complete.
The second consecutive away game, and the last of the season, is upon us. Once again on a Sunday (May 10th, 1:30pm), Darmstadt will be playing away – this time against SC Preußen Münster. Everything you need to know for your final away trip of the season to the LVM-Preußenstadion, about three and a half hours away, can be found here in the usual fan information section.
There's a lot going on at the Bölle. The 98th Darmstadt baby of 2026, along with their family, visited the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, and they weren't the only ones. Where else the Bölle gang has ended up, and many more news items about the club, can be found here in our "Lilies Across the Board" section, as every Wednesday.
SV Darmstadt 98 informed all season ticket holders about the season ticket procedure for the 2026/27 season on Wednesday (May 6th) and would also like to share this letter on the club's own website.
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.