SV Darmstadt 98 travels to Kaiserslautern at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion on Sunday. What does head coach Florian Kohfeldt say about the atmosphere at the Betze? What makes the stadium so special? And how does he assess their opponents overall? We've summarised the key points from Friday's press conference (August 29th) for you.
Personnel Update: Paul Will and Matthias Bader are still out. All other players are available for selection.
I don’t think the last few games mean anything for Sunday’s game, because an away game at the Betze is always something special. Kaiserslautern plays differently at home than away. You can see that in the fact that they’ve picked up 17 of their last 18 points at home across the season. Lautern’s home game against Schalke was super energetic—they fully exploited the power of the Betzenberg. Nevertheless, with three wins and a draw, we’re coming out of a phase where we can say that we have confidence in what we’re doing—including the processes we’ve been able to play since last season. The fact that Sergio is fully fit again also gives us more options at right-back. We’re looking forward to the away game.
The Betzenberg is one of the most atmospheric stadiums in Germany. It creates an atmosphere that is unique, particularly due to the design of the stands, and isn’t often found. The journey there is also very special – first up the hill, then in the glass elevator through the VIP area to the changing rooms. These are all things you don’t find in other stadiums. Furthermore, the changing rooms are very close together. These aspects make the stadium unique – but in all directions: This stadium can also exert a lot of pressure, even for the home team. On good days, it’s a huge advantage for the team, but it’s also a crowd that quickly demands a lot of energy from the pitch.
I think one of the reasons some Lilien coaches become Lautern coaches is so they can win at the Betzenberg – because Darmstadt have never won there before (laughs). To be honest, I don’t know why Darmstadt have never won there. This stadium is certainly impressive and an advantage. That’s why I’m glad that many of our players saw the stadium in May. We’re no longer an inexperienced team when it comes to playing in such atmospheric stadiums – it was different last year because of the many new signings from the 3rd division and abroad. In terms of atmosphere, the 2nd division is unique, and you need to gain a bit of experience in stadiums like these. But we gained that last season. So playing at the Betze will be something special – but nothing intimidating.
Lautern presents two different faces at home and away. At home, they play very offensively, try to establish man-marking early on, and leave no space between them so that the opponent can’t get going. They have only signed top players across the board, including Mahir Emreli, Ivan Prtajin, and Fabian Kunze. They also brought in Paul Joly, a player who has 26 Ligue 1 appearances to their name – that shows what they’re capable of. Therefore, it will be a challenge to defend their individual quality. At the same time, it’s crucial that we avoid the stress they try to create. Then they will certainly open up opportunities for us to work with counterattacks.
I believe the sale of Clemens Riedel is a success story for Darmstadt 98. The club developed a player over six years, accompanied him through various phases, and molded him into a very important player who learned a lot about leadership, team management, and football. I think this story has produced only winners. Clemens has a great challenge ahead of him with Espanyol in La Liga – just to be the focus of a club there is an honour. I am convinced that this experience abroad will help him develop not only as a footballer, but also as a person. And he certainly didn’t choose the worst city in Barcelona. Of course, it’s also a financial issue for the club: It’s important to financially reward a player who has been able to develop here for his performances. Kudos to Paul Fernie and his squad planning – this departure was already factored in back in May. Even though I would have liked to continue working with him, we were prepared and feel well positioned despite his move. All the best to Clemens! I believe that stepping out of his comfort zone and into a city where he’s no longer „our Clemens“ but „Mr. Riedel“ will be beneficial to his development.
We’ll use the international break to give the boys a little respite. Jean-Paul Boëtius and Fabian Nürnberger are away with the national team, while the others will train in football-specific athletics. We’ll combine this with a few days off, so we can then get back to normal preparation for Braunschweig.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
They fought to the very end, playing with ten men, and tried everything. But in the end, Darmstadt had to settle for a 3-3 draw against SV Elversberg in the sold-out Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. How do the Darmstadt players and staff assess the passionate 90 minutes at the Bölle? What did both head coaches have to say about the match? We've compiled all the reactions for you.
No winner in the clash of the pursuers: Darmstadt 98's home game against SV Elversberg ended in a 3-3 (2-3) draw. After three consecutive defeats, SV 98 managed to secure at least a point and now has 51 points this season. Pfeiffer (14th minute) and Hornby (15th and 51st minutes) scored for the team from southern Hesse.
It's home game day at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. On Saturday evening, the 31st matchday of the 2. Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg. Head coach Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting eleven compared to last week. Raoul Petretta replaces Fabian Nürnberger (thigh injury). Yosuke Furukawa also starts in place of Killian Corredor against the team from Saarland.
A new match under the floodlights awaits! On Saturday evening (April 25th, 8:30pm), Darmstadt 98 play against SV Elversberg. What are the coaches' opinions before the game? Who will referee, broadcast, and commentate the match? And what kind of weather can Darmstadt fans expect at the stadium? All the information is compiled for you in "Matchday Guide."
What are Florian Kohfeldt's thoughts on Saturday evening's match (April 25th/8:30pm) against SV Elversberg? Where does he see the strengths of their upcoming opponent? And how does his team plan to get back on track after three consecutive defeats? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday (April 24th) in the catacombs of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. We've summarised Kohfeldt's key statements from the press conference for you.
On Saturday evening (April 26th/8:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will host the team from SV 07 Elversberg and asks you to take note of the following information.
In the world of football, a yo-yo team is a team that oscillates between two leagues – too good for one league, but not quite at the level of the next higher one. The result is usually many promotions and many relegations. But SV Elversberg is currently redefining the term. For several years now, the yo-yo has been taking SVE almost exclusively upwards.
Saturday evening at the Böllenfalltor, the seventh edition! This time, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg at the Merck Stadium. Both teams are strong offensively and convincing defensively. But where do the differences lie? And in which statistics do both the team from southern Hesse and the Saarlanders lead the pack? We've compiled all the facts and figures for this match right here for you.
The news that Fabian Holland will no longer play for Darmstadt at the end of this season affected everyone at the club. We take a look at it. Also exciting this week: The U17s host Eintracht Frankfurt's youth team in Pfungstadt today, Wednesday (April 22nd/5pm) for the Hessian derby in the Hesse Cup; the Darmstadt first team will wear members' jerseys against SV Elversberg next Saturday (April 25th/8:30pm); and the Darmstadt VIP box has been temporarily converted into a yoga camp. "Darmstadt Across the Board" on Wednesday is available here.
The end of an era. Fabian Holland's twelfth season in the Lilies' jersey will be his last with SV 98. The 35-year-old's contract, which expires at the end of the season, will not be renewed. The club informed Holland of this decision in a confidential meeting. Both club and player agree to focus entirely on achieving the best possible end to the season until the final match and that any plans for a farewell celebration will depend on how the rest of the season unfolds.