New Datterich collection | Fan team: Decision on Sunday

SV Darmstadt 98 and Lobster & Lemonade proudly present their third collaborative streetwear collection, and this time the focus is on a true Darmstadt classic: the Datterich. The dazzling character from the famous dialect play by Ernst Elias Niebergall has long been more than just theater culture. The Datterich is Darmstadt. And he is part of the Lilies‘ club history – not least as a central motif in legendary fan choreographies during the team’s promotion years of 2014 and 2015.

As with previous editions, the Datterich collection clearly sets itself apart from traditional fan merchandise: With unusual colours, subtle designs, and an urban style, it is aimed at all those who want to show their allegiance to the Lilies in a stylish and discreet way in everyday life. The heart of the collection is reinterpreted quotes, in the spirit of the original, but entirely within the Lilies cosmos. This collection is also limited, so be quick and secure your favourite item!

In front of an atmospheric crowd, the SV Darmstadt 98 fan team suffered a 1-0 defeat to FTG Pfungstadt on Thursday evening (May 15). In a physical and tactically focused encounter, the hosts proved to be compact and disciplined. With cleverly placed pinpricks, especially through set pieces and counterattacks, they repeatedly posed a threat – one of these attacks led to the decisive goal of the evening as early as the 12th minute.

The Lilies had a lot of possession for long stretches, but rarely found solutions against Pfungstadt’s defensive wall in the final third. Several high-quality chances arose, especially in the first half, but the ball simply wouldn’t find the net on this evening – direct duels with the goalkeeper were unsuccessful on several occasions. Despite the defeat, the team cannot be accused of a lack of effort. The game was close, the result was frustrating – but the starting position remains positive: promotion is still possible, the team still has it in its own hands.

Now the final home game of the season is just around the corner: On Sunday (May 25th, 1pm), the SV Darmstadt 98 fan team will play against the second team of SpVgg Seeheim-Jugenheim. After the last matchday, in which neither the Lilies nor their rivals from Roßdorf managed to score any points, the promotion race remains open. A preliminary decision has not been made. The starting position is clear: Only a win will secure direct promotion and the championship.

On Saturday (May 17), the SV Darmstadt 98 U17 team celebrated an important 3-1 home win against SSV Ulm in the penultimate match of the season in the DFB-Nachwuchsliga B (German Youth League B) – thus securing a place in the top five and a place in the 2025/26 DFB-Nachwuchsliga (German Youth League) even before the final matchday.

The match began cautiously: The first half was largely uneventful, and the score was 0-0 at halftime. Shortly after the break, the damper came: Ulm took the lead in the 48th minute. But the Junglilien showed spirit and responded promptly, equalising ten minutes later to make it 1-1. A successful final phase ultimately secured the three points for the Junglilien: In the 80th minute, SVD scored to take a 2-1 lead, and another goal in stoppage time made it 3-1. Next weekend (May 24th) the season finale will take place at home against FC 08 Villingen.

The SV Darmstadt 98 U19 team made a real statement on Saturday (May 17th), convincingly securing a 4-3 away win at league leaders FC Augsburg on the final matchday of the DFB-Nachwuchsliga B (German Youth League B). The young Lilies got off to a dream start: After just 15 minutes, Darmstadt were 3-0 up thanks to goals in the 3rd, 8th, and 15th minutes. It was a lightning-fast start that visibly shocked the hosts. Shortly before halftime, Augsburg came back with a goal to make it 3-1 (41st minute), reigniting the tension.

But immediately after the break, the Lilies restored their goal difference: The score was 4-1 in the 47th minute. Augsburg, however, didn’t give up and pulled back to 3-4 with goals in the 75th and 83rd minutes. Darmstadt’s defence held firm under the pressure in the closing stages and held on to secure the away win.

With this success, the U19 team finished third in their group in the DFB Youth League B. With the Lilies finishing among the top four in their group, they are assured of a spot in the DFB Youth League next year.

In the semifinals of the Hessen Cup, the Lilies‘ U19 team narrowly missed reaching the final. In a more thrilling semifinal on Tuesday (May 20), the SV 98 A-Juniors took a 2-1 away defeat in extra time against FV Biebrich 02. The home team took the lead in the first minute with a penalty. However, Darmstadt equalised in the 35th minute to level the scores at halftime. After a goalless second half, the game went into extra time, which didn’t end well for the Lilies: In the 107th minute, they conceded the goal to make it 2-1, a result from which they were unable to recover.

It was May 22, 1898: the day on which the foundation of a very special club was laid with the founding of FK Olympia 1898. In 1919, the club merged with SC Darmstadt 1905, and from then on, they competed under the name that today makes football hearts beat faster throughout southern Hesse: SV Darmstadt 98. The history of the Lilies is one with many highs and equally honest lows – from the after-work professionals, to their first promotion to the Bundesliga in 1978, to the near-bankruptcy filing in 2008, which was just barely averted. But as is so often the case: anyone who knows SV 98 knows that they can fight their way back from even the most difficult situations.

Today, the club is more stable than ever, both athletically and structurally – much to the delight of many cardiologists in the Darmstadt area. They have been continuously in German professional football for over 14 years, and have been in at least the second division for the past ten years. Legendary chapters like the march from the 3rd Division to the Bundesliga with the Miracle of Bielefeld or the emotional promotion in 2022/23 are deeply embedded in the memory of every Lilien fan.

A club that unites thousands of people in Darmstadt, southern Hesse, and far beyond. On May 22nd, we celebrate 127 years of SV Darmstadt 98 and say from the bottom of our hearts: All the best, Lilien!

Marco Thiede celebrated his 33rd birthday on Tuesday (May 20). The right-back began his professional career in 2011 at FC Augsburg. After two years, he moved to SV Sandhausen before moving to Karlsruher SC in 2017. In September 2024, he finally moved to SV Darmstadt 98. Thiede made a total of 19 appearances for the Lilies, logging 394 minutes of action. The Lilies wish you a happy birthday and all the best for your sporting future.

He was an exceptional striker who had a special reputation not only in his native South Korea. Bum-kun Cha, then 25 years old, was considered technically gifted and tactically mature – qualities that took him all the way to Germany. In the winter of 1978/79, he joined SV Darmstadt 98 with the expectation of giving the Lilies‘ attacking game new impetus. His debut on December 30, 1978 against VfL Bochum was promising: Cha was immediately in coach Lothar Buchmann’s starting eleven, was substituted after 78 minutes, but had played a decisive role in the Lilies‘ 3-1 victory up until then. But that was to remain a one-off appearance. The attacker travelled to South Korea over the turn of the year and never returned. The reason for this was his military service in his homeland, which made it impossible for him to continue his time in Darmstadt.

After his brief stint at Böllenfalltor, Cha continued his career in Germany, including stints with Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen, where he truly made a name for himself. His only appearance for SV 98 may have been brief, but he left a lasting impression.

On May 22nd, Bum-kun Cha celebrates his 72nd birthday. SV Darmstadt 98 sends his warmest congratulations and wishes him all the best!

Klaus Schlappner, former assistant and head coach of the Lilies, also celebrates his birthday on Thursday (May 22nd). The Lampertheim native was initially assistant coach at Böllenfalltor from 1977 to 1980, but also took over as interim head coach for three months after Lothar Buchmann left the club. In 1987/88, Schlappner returned to Darmstadt as head coach and was once again on the Lilies‘ sidelines. His other clubs include SV Waldhof Mannheim, 1. FC Saarbrücken, and Carl Zeiss Jena. Schlappner also made headlines internationally: As China’s national coach, he played a key role in shaping the development of football in the Middle Kingdom from the late 1980s onwards.

SV Darmstadt 98 warmly congratulates Klaus Schlappner on his 85th birthday and wishes him all the best, good health, and many more wonderful moments!