“Now I’m happy in Darmstadt!” | Lilies launch their 5th tree planting campaign

Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and has already settled in well after the first few weeks with the team. „The guys welcomed me warmly. It was very easy to integrate into training and the weight room. I feel really comfortable here,“ reports the 28-year-old, who previously lived in Toronto.

The move to Darmstadt represents a major adjustment for Petretta, not only in terms of his sporting career but also personally. Living in a smaller city is new to him, he explains: „It’s a big difference from Toronto and my home region.“ He’s still looking for an apartment, but the anticipation of having a permanent home outweighs everything else: „I’m happy in Darmstadt now and hope to find a nice apartment soon.“ On the pitch, Petretta has clear goals: First, he wants to get back to his full form and find his rhythm. „Personally, it was important for me to get back to 100% and get as much playing time as possible. Then, as a team, we’ll take it one game at a time and hope for the best,“ he says. With his experience from previous clubs, Petretta wants to bring stability to the Lilies‘ defence while simultaneously advancing his own development. His commitment and positive attitude make him an important new addition who should enrich the team both on and off the pitch.

WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we are once again making a statement for sustainability on Sunday, March 15, 2026: At our fifth tree-planting event, more than 3,500 trees will be planted „In the Sign of the Lily.“ Familiar faces from SV 98 will be on hand to support the event. You can still register and become part of this special commitment.

The eLilies were in top form for the fifth and final showdown of the season. In the first online preliminary round, the team boasted a flawless record with three wins out of three games – including a 5-3 victory against Borussia Dortmund, a spectacular 10-7 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05, and a 5-4 victory against Holstein Kiel.

In the second online preliminary round, the Blue-Whites demonstrated remarkable composure. After two defeats against VfL Bochum and SV Werder Bremen, the team was under pressure. Against Dynamo Dresden, the boys had to give it their all to secure their ticket to the offline event in Stuttgart – and they delivered impressively: With a decisive 9-2 aggregate victory, the 98ers clinched their qualification.

In Stuttgart, the round of 16 saw a rematch against SV Werder Bremen. Despite great spirit and passion, the eLilien ultimately suffered a narrow 7-5 defeat. This brought their journey at the offline event to an earlier end than hoped. Nevertheless, the overall result is clearly positive: thanks to their strong performance, the eLilien have qualified for the playoffs of the Virtual Bundesliga final tournament in Hamburg. There, they will face their next big challenge against Bayer Leverkusen.

Furthermore, on February 28, 2026, the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will host the „Virtual Bundesliga Club Wildcard Tournament“—organised by the eFootball department of SV 98. The Lilies are still looking for participants: all eFootball enthusiasts aged 16 and over who want to demonstrate their skills are eligible to take part. Check-in begins at 10:30am, before the tournament officially kicks off at 11:30am. Participants will compete against each other in exciting matches, vying for attractive prizes and the chance to prevail in a high-calibre field of competitors.

Besides sporting recognition, the best players of the day can also look forward to some great prizes: The winner receives a wildcard, a home jersey, and two tickets to a Darmstadt 98 home game. Second place receives a home jersey and two tickets. Third place also wins two tickets, while fourth place receives SV Darmstadt 98 fan merchandise.

The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team kicks off the second half of the Hessenliga season on Friday evening (February 27th, 7:30pm) with a home game against Türk Gücü Friedberg. The visitors currently sit in fourth place, meaning the Lilies face a challenging task right from the start. New coach Sebastian Schmitt’s team used the preseason to refine their tactics and develop clear structures for both attacking and defending. „We’ve brought clarity to our phases of play,“ said Schmitt. Besides further developing the young talent, the focus is primarily on securing crucial points. Anyone wishing to support the U21 team can come to the artificial turf pitch on Kastanienallee in Darmstadt on Friday evening at 7:30pm.

Around 60 young Darmstadt 98 fans and their chaperones gathered last week in the ENTEGA VIP Lounge at the Merck Stadium (Böllenfalltor) for the launch event of the club’s U18 program. The new initiative aims to create an attractive membership program specifically for young Darmstadt 98 fans aged 13 to 18.

In an interactive presentation, participants gained fascinating insights into SV 98 as a membership-based club, its amateur sports offerings, and the club’s history and significance. Through digital voting, the young people were able to actively participate, suggest ideas, and help decide on future formats. In a relaxed atmosphere, the first steps were taken to shape the development of the U18 program.

In the future, monthly invitations to special events for young members will be sent out – including workshops, readings, lectures, trips for under-18s organised by the fan project, fan (culture) evenings, and introductory sessions in recreational sports. Young people will also continue to be involved in other aspects of the new club through surveys. The evening concluded with an exclusive stadium tour of the players‘ and VIP boxes in the main stand.

Our winter signing Niklas Schmidt celebrates his 28th birthday on Sunday (March 1st)! Dear Niklas, even though you’ve only been wearing the SV Darmstadt 98 jersey since this winter, you’ve already become an important part of our team. We’re all the more delighted to be able to celebrate this special day with you. We wish you all the best for the coming year, especially good health, much success, strong performances in the Lilies jersey, and many unforgettable moments at the Böllenfalltor stadium.