A floodlit evening at Bielefeld's Alm stadium. The date is May 19, 2014: The atmosphere is electric, Arminia Bielefeld the clear favourite – especially after their 3-1 victory in the first leg of the relegation play-off. Darmstadt 98, accordingly, the massive underdog. And yet, on this evening, SV 98 makes both Lilies and football history. After 120 minutes, a spectacular 4-2 scoreline is displayed on the scoreboard. Darmstadt is promoted, Bielefeld is relegated. And a Darmstadt motto becomes legendary: "You have to fight. Nothing is lost yet."
Despite the disappointment, Arminia Bielefeld reacted with remarkable unity. Relegation triggered a wave of support in Bielefeld and the entire region. Within just a few days, the club experienced a huge increase in membership. The sense of community in East Westphalia remained unbroken.
Arminia entered the 2014/15 season with a significantly changed squad. Under coach Norbert Meier, the team played a convincing first half of the season but finished the first half of the season in a non-promotion position. The team continued their strong performance in the second half of the season and climbed to the top of the table. On the penultimate matchday, they secured immediate promotion back to the 2. Bundesliga. A 2-2 draw at home against Jahn Regensburg was enough to seal their return to the second division.
Arminia Bielefeld started the current season as a newly promoted second-division team, having reached the DFB Cup final last season as a third-division side. After ten matchdays in the second division, Arminia sits in a strong ninth place with 13 points. Now, the two teams meet again. May 19, 2014, seems like a long time ago, but it still evokes goosebumps and provides motivation.
We’ve analysed this weekend’s opponent for you in our opponent check.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Joel Grodowski – 5 Goals | Mael Corboz – 3 Assists |
| Isaiah Young – 2 Goals | Monju Momuluh – 3 Assists |
| Joel Felix – 2 Goals | Joel Grodowski – 2 Assists |
| Noah Sarenren Bazee – 2 Goals | Marvin Mehlem – 2 Assists |
| Tim Handwerker – 2 Goals | Christopher Lannert – 2 Assists |
Michél "Mitch" Kniat
Head coach at Arminia BielefeldIntensity. Bielefeld sets the standard in this category: With 7,732 high-intensity runs, Arminia Bielefeld are unchallenged at the top of the statistics. An impressive testament to the team’s endurance and tireless commitment. Schalke follows closely behind with 7,158, and Kiel with 7,094 – strong figures, but still not quite matching Bielefeld’s intensity. For Darmstadt, this means they must prepare for an intense match.
It’s a Sunday morning in the 2016/17 season, somewhere on a dusty pitch in the Kreisliga A (eighth tier of German football). The lines on the field are barely visible, the goalposts rattle with every shot, and the stands consist of just a few benches along the sidelines. A striker is running onto the pitch – his name is Joel Grodowski. With every step, you can feel his indomitable will; with every shot, his precision. Among most of the players in this league, who simply play for fun, Grodowski immediately stands out. But how does a centre forward from the Kreisliga make it to professional football? And in just a few years, no less?
Joel Grodowski began his football career in the youth academies of Schalke 04, Rot Weiss Ahlen, and VfB Waltrop. In 2017, however, he was still playing in the Kreisliga A for PSV Bork. There he revealed his goal-scoring prowess: In the 2016/17 season, he scored an incredible 53 goals in just 30 games – a number that made him one of the most striking talents in the region in the amateur sector.
His performances did not go unnoticed, and in 2017 Grodowski took the plunge and moved abroad to Bradford City in the English League One, the third tier of German football. Although his playing time was limited, this move marked his transition from amateur to professional football. After a year in England, he returned to Germany and joined Hammer SpVg in the Oberliga Westfalen (fifth tier). There, he confirmed his goalscoring prowess with 15 goals in 28 games and continued his steady progress. In 2019, Grodowski transferred to Preußen Münster. Initially playing in the Regionalliga West (fourth tier), and later in the 3. Liga (third tier), he developed into a key player for the team. His goals were crucial in helping Preußen Münster consistently stay within striking distance of the top of the table.
Present day. Now he plays in the 2nd Bundesliga for Arminia Bielefeld and, with his five goals this season, has already done a lot for the newly promoted team. Nevertheless, he fondly remembers his time in the Kreisliga (district league): „That time is still very present. I haven’t played there for a while now, but the Kreisliga still holds a special place in my heart. I still really enjoy watching the games. Some of my old friends are still playing for PSV Bork. Every now and then I’ve wondered what would have happened if I had gone through a youth academy. But perhaps it’s precisely my time in the Kreisliga that makes me stand out as a player,“ he said in an interview with the DFB (German Football Association). His extraordinary development from a Kreisliga player to a key performer in professional football shows that talent, combined with perseverance and hard work, can pave the way to professional football even from the lowest leagues.
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.