Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
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.
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.