At their home game on Saturday (April 11th, 8:30pm) at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, SV Darmstadt 98 will send an important message. Together with the Björn Steiger Foundation and the German Heart Foundation, the club will promote the HERZSICHER (Heart Safe) initiative. The initiative aims to empower as many people as possible to perform CPR in the event of cardiac arrest through free 60-minute resuscitation courses. The German Football Association (DFB) is a cooperation partner.
Every eight minutes, someone in Germany suffers a sudden cardiac arrest – in everyday life, at home, or while playing sports. What happens in the first few minutes before emergency services arrive is crucial for survival. If bystanders begin CPR immediately, the chances of survival increase significantly. This is precisely where HERZSICHER (Heart Safe) comes in: The initiative offers free training courses on chest compressions and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
SV Darmstadt 98, the Björn Steiger Foundation, and the German Heart Foundation are working together to promote this free program. „60 minutes can save a life,“ says Pierre-Enric Steiger, President of the Björn Steiger Foundation. „Our goal is to train as many people as possible in Darmstadt and the surrounding area.“
„Join us and help us save lives and increase the rate of layperson CPR in Germany by registering for a free training course,“ emphasises Dr. Sinann Al Najem of the German Heart Foundation: „Because in the case of cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decrease by about ten percent with every minute without resuscitation.“
Anyone can become a potential lifesaver this way. Via the platform www.herzsicher.de. Clubs, businesses, and individuals can book free training sessions. The unique aspect: Participants choose the location, date, and time themselves. Certified trainers come directly to the club, company, or even the participant’s home. There, they provide practical training for groups of eight or more people in approximately 60 minutes.
SV Darmstadt 98 is leading by example. They offered a full day of training for all employees and are also planning to purchase AEDs.
More information at www.herzsicher.de.
The Björn Steiger Foundation was established in 1969 by Ute and Siegfried Steiger after their son died following a traffic accident due to inadequate emergency care. Since then, the foundation has been tirelessly committed to improving emergency medical services in Germany. Its pioneering initiatives include the introduction of the emergency numbers 110/112, the founding and development of the German Air Rescue Service (DRF), and the installation of emergency call boxes along federal and state highways. The foundation aims to raise awareness of shortcomings in emergency care, stimulate public discourse, and contribute to better emergency services through its own projects, such as the neonatal ambulance and the HeartSafe initiative, as well as concrete solutions – including, in 2025, the filing of a constitutional complaint to create uniform regulations for emergency medical services. Further information is available at: www.steiger-stiftung.de
The German Heart Foundation (Deutsche Herzstiftung e. V.) was founded in 1979 and is today the largest non-profit and independent resource for patients and interested individuals in the field of cardiovascular diseases. One of the Heart Foundation’s main tasks is to provide patients with independent information about cardiovascular diseases, their prevention, and current diagnostic and treatment options. The Heart Foundation is also known for its nationwide awareness campaigns and as a key funding institution for cardiovascular research. The high quality of its information services is due in no small part to the expertise of the approximately 500 heart specialists on the Heart Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board. The Chairman of the Board is cardiologist Prof. Dr. Thomas Voigtländer (Frankfurt am Main), and the patron is Barbara Genscher. Further information is available at: www.herzstiftung.de
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.
SV Darmstadt 98 successfully completed their second pre-season friendly, defeating Verbandsliga side VfR Fehlheim 8-0 (4-0).
