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.
Not a good start in Hünfeld. The home team was already leading 1-0 after just five minutes. But the young Lilies weren’t fazed. The U21s responded immediately, courtesy of Manolo Merx, who was having a fantastic day. He coolly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper in the twelfth minute to make it 1-1. Just a minute later, Merx scored again – and what a goal it was! He won the ball himself and chipped it into the net from 20 metres..
„I’m incredibly proud of the team,“ emphasised Schmitt after the final whistle, who also had special praise for hat-trick hero Merx: „The way he scores goals is a testament to his personal development in recent weeks.“ He remained composed for his third goal as well, leaving the keeper no chance – 3-1 in the 78th minute. With this goal, he put the finishing touch on the match.
The match against Hünfelder SV was the third game in seven days. But there was no sign of fatigue. „Part of the victory belongs to our athletic trainer, Abed Hadji,“ Schmitt praised his work: „We played over 270 minutes from Saturday to Saturday, 70 of them with ten men. And yet we still managed to beat Hünfeld and maintain that intensity throughout the entire week.“
A positive development has become evident in the U21 team over the past few weeks. Despite their challenging position in the standings, the players believe in themselves and their strengths. „They believe in staying in the league – no matter what obstacles arise,“ Schmitt emphasised. Now, the goal is to carry this confidence into their upcoming home game on Saturday (May 9th, 3pm) against FSV Fernwald.
Line-Up: Börner – Kunstmann, Karakayar (Dos Snatos Pereira, 90+3′), Maier (Steineck, 56′), Kadrijaj, Klappich (Alagi, 86′), Ballmert, Mignano (Schlosser, 68′), Görtler, Merx (Blasa, 80′), Arnold.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.