On the occasion of the confirmed relegation of the Lilies, the executive board of SV Darmstadt 98 addressed the public with an open letter.
Dear lily fans, partners & friends,
Unfortunately, the season didn’t end the way we wanted it to before the season started. At the end of the previous matchday it is clear that we will be competing in the 2nd league again next year. We were all longing for the Bundesliga and were looking forward to the season in which we deserved promotion after two fantastic years in the second division under coach Torsten Lieberknecht. Of course, everyone inside and outside the club was aware that it would be a challenging Bundesliga season. But it’s one thing to prepare for it. The other thing is to feel the gravity of the task firsthand.
The season so far has shown that our team doesn’t give up and has mostly thrown everything into the balance in terms of fighting. Despite this long winless streak, the team has remained intact and has picked itself up again and again. In the end, however, it remains sober to say that we deserved to be relegated. Unlike in previous years, this time we did not manage to overperform relative to our economic possibilities. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, we were unable to get into a proper sporting flow throughout the season.
As part of our overall sporting analysis, we must and will carefully analyse the reasons for the relegation internally. And as we do after every season, we work together to find out what could have gone better. We definitely didn’t do everything right this season, and we in the presidium are also self-critical of ourselves.
We can completely understand that some people are frustrated by the low point yield. We are too. We are all the more impressed by the sensitivity of the fans, partners and sponsors who support us with this passion and loyalty throughout the entire season because they know that the Bundesliga is something special for the Lilies. The majority of our followers can correctly assess and classify the situation – as they did after the recent game against Heidenheim. And even if something goes wrong, like after the Augsburg home game, the fan scene’s internal reappraisal works. We can only take our hats off to that.
This unity and solidarity are a valuable asset that we must maintain. Because the coming second division season will also be challenging. First of all, we want to finish the season cleanly together and collect as many points as possible. And then, with the right conclusions from the current Bundesliga season, we will build on the overall positive development of the past few years.
Your Presidium
Attention Lilien fans: During SV Darmstadt 98’s training camp in Bad Wörishofen (Allgäu region)—taking place from July 19th to July 26th, 2026—there will once again be an opportunity to meet the team, chat with the players, and, of course, get autographs and photos. The fan meet-up is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th, following the friendly match against SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. Kick-off for the match is at 12pm.
SV 98 remains active in the transfer market. The "Lilies" have signed Christopher Lannert from Arminia Bielefeld.
Friendly matches, fundraising campaigns, and plenty of photos—that’s what the week looked like for SV 98 and the club’s community. Between their 5–1 victory over FC Homburg and the upcoming friendly in Walldorf this Friday (July 17), the „Lilies“ showed their best side for the cameras. In addition, the SV 98 legends team will face an Odenwald select squad on Sunday (July 19th). You can also win great prizes in competitions taking place in Erbach and at the pop-up store in downtown Darmstadt. Lilies Across the Board brings you all the latest news from life at SV 98.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.