The draw has taken place: SV Darmstadt 98 has known its opponent for the round of 16 since Sunday evening (November 2nd). We take a look at the draw. Also, Kai Klefisch is back on the pitch and "simply happy to be back." You can read about these and other topics in our weekly column "Lilies Across the Board."
After his injury layoff, Kai Klefisch is finally back on the pitch – and with an all-around positive feeling. The SV 98 midfielder has now played two matches. And his conclusion is clear: „My body feels great, really excellent.“ Klefisch played the full 90 minutes in the match against Bielefeld, and before that, he was on the field for 76 minutes in the cup match against Schalke. The league game against Schalke, however, came too soon. „But I think we did exactly the right thing. It was good to wait for another game. Training with the team is simply a different intensity, but I didn’t lose much during the time I was out,“ Klefisch explained contentedly.
During his time off, which saw him miss three matches, the 25-year-old worked diligently in the weight room and completed individual training sessions on the pitch. „That allowed me to pick up right where I left off,“ he says. Nevertheless, he found it difficult to watch his team’s games from the sidelines: „It’s truly one of the worst things there is. Luckily, it wasn’t an injury that sidelined me for months, but watching every game from the sidelines is torture. You want to help, you have this inner urge to contribute – but you just can’t do anything.“
Now, the relief is immense at finally being part of the action again: „I’m simply happy to be back on the pitch. When you play with the same guys for a long time, you become a well-oiled machine. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing. The coach likes to talk about so-called ‚core players‘ – and I think I’m definitely part of the team’s backbone.“
On Sunday evening (November 2nd), the draw for the round of 16 of the DFB Cup took place at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Darmstadt were drawn to play away against Bundesliga club and Europa League participant SC Freiburg. For Darmstadt, this means a big cup night awaits – and at the same time, a real challenge. Freiburg are clear favourites, but the Darmstadt team travels with the conviction and ambition to advance to the next round. „The cup has shown time and again that surprises are always possible,“ emphasised Paul Fernie after the draw. The sporting director of SV 98 continued: „Logically, we are the underdog away against the Europa League participant, but we will still go there and invest everything to advance to the next round.“
The SV Darmstadt 98 eFootball team has been competing in the Virtual Bundesliga for about two weeks now. However, things haven’t quite clicked for the eLilies on the console yet. The team from southern Hesse had to wait until the seventh matchday to secure their first win of the season. In two matches, Darmstadt prevailed against Greuther Fürth with an aggregate score of 10-7. Previously, SV 98 had lost to Heidenheim, Düsseldorf, Elversberg, and St. Pauli. They drew against Eintracht Braunschweig. This leaves the eLilies currently in 28th place in the overall standings, which comprise a total of 30 teams. SV 98 has a bye this week and will resume play on November 13th (6pm) against Bayer Leverkusen.
4-1 victory! On Sunday (November 2nd), the second team hosted TSV Braunshardt at home and displayed impressive form. The team took control of the game early on: playing with high tempo and clear focus, the Lilies created several chances. The home team’s attacking play was rewarded on several occasions – by halftime, they had built a commanding 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Marius Wetter (16th minute) and Massimiliano Viola (33rd minute).
After the restart, the momentum continued: the team showed no signs of letting up and even increased the tempo. The hosts quickly extended their lead with two further goals in the 68th and 74th minutes from Julian Schreiber and Felix Bärenz, respectively. The visitors managed to score a consolation goal in the 86th minute, but the home team comfortably saw out the victory and secured the win.
With this victory, the Lilies move into 12th place in the Kreisliga B. On Sunday (November 9th), the SVD fan team aims to replicate their performance from the last match. Kick-off against SV Erzhausen II is at 12:30pm.
This coming weekend, SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team will play at home against FC Eddersheim. Kick-off is at 2:30pm on Saturday (November 8th). With a focused performance, team spirit, and the typical Darmstadt commitment, they aim to turn things around after seven winless games.
Dear Killian, SV Darmstadt 98 sends you belated best wishes for your 25th birthday! May your new year bring you much success on the pitch and good health. Last Tuesday (November 4th), the French attacking player for the Lilies celebrated his milestone birthday. Happy birthday!
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.