Foto: SV 98 22.07.2025 / English
“Looking forward to the new season with confidence”
On Monday evening (July 21st), the Lilies‘ Sponsors‘ Summer Party took place in the ENTEGA VIP Lounge at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Around 450 guests accepted the Lilies‘ invitation to get to know the team for the upcoming season and enjoy an entertaining evening with music, food, and conversation.
The event began at 6pm with a champagne and beer reception, along with appetisers from the flying buffet. Until the official start of the stage program, players and officials from the Lilies mingled with the crowd, engaged in conversation, and were available for photo and autograph requests.
The official part of the evening began at 7pm with a singing performance by Alberto Colucci. Rüdiger Fritsch then welcomed those present and looked ahead to the approaching start of the season: „We are looking forward to the new season with great confidence and excitement. The squad is 98 percent complete, and we have some very interesting players, including international players. Almost everything is currently in place, and we can look forward to August 2nd and the home game against Bochum.“
The president also used the evening to thank all partners and sponsors for their years of support and cooperation. Particularly with a view to the end of his term of office next October, the 64-year-old emphasised the developments surrounding SV 98 in recent years, which would not have been possible without the involvement of the companions and supporters present.
The highlight of the evening was the official team presentation. Hosted by stadium announcer Colin Mahnke, the players took the stage one by one and were each introduced with a brief profile. New signings Patric Pfeiffer, Semih Güler, Leon Klassen, and Yosuke Furukawa answered a few brief questions, while Florian Kohfeld and Paul Fernie provided insights into the preparations so far and an outlook on the start of the season.
Afterward, there was plenty of time for networking and casual conversation over the lavish buffet at the Shiraz Restaurant, the flying buffet from Gaul, and dishes from the Stolz rotisserie grill.
The evening came to a fitting close with a musical performance by Jimmie Wilson and a cold drink or two at the cocktail bar.
SV 98 would like to thank all partners and sponsors who accepted the invitation and ushered in the upcoming season with us.