Long before Dynamo Dresden was founded in 1953, football played a significant role in the Saxon capital. In 1874, the ball first rolled in an organised fashion in the Florence on the Elbe. The first club was the "Dresden English Football Club," founded by workers from England. Football has always been a close part of the city, and after the founding of SGD, an absolute success story began, which today allows the club to boast a very well-filled trophy room.
The 1970s, in particular, saw a string of trophies go to Dresden. During this period, Dynamo celebrated five East German championship titles and won the East German Cup twice. The SGD also regularly celebrated special nights on the international stage, competing against the best teams in Europe.
After reunification, Dynamo remained in the Bundesliga until 1995, but since then, they have not been able to return to the top flight of German football. In recent years, Dynamo has alternated between the 3rd and 2nd divisions, to which they returned this season. We take a closer look at SV 98’s next opponent. Dynamo Dresden in the opponent check.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Christoph Daferner – 3 Goals | Niklas Hauptmann – 2 Assists |
| Niklas Hauptmann – 1 Goal | Jakob Lemmer – 1 Assist |
| Jakob Lemmer – 1 Goal | Vinko Sapina – 1 Assist |
| Luca Herrmann – 1 Goal | Konrad Faber – 1 Assist |
| Claudio Kammerknecht – 1 Goal |
Thomas Stamm
Head coach at SG Dynamo DresdenDynamo Dresden has been known for attacking football this season, especially away from home. Dresden has already scored six goals on the road; only Greuther Fürth has scored more goals at other stadiums. Furthermore, SGD has the second-most shots on goal in the league so far. The trio of Nils Frölin, Christoph Daferner, and Jakob Lemmer are primarily responsible for their attacking threat. All three have already found the back of the net this season.
When someone is called a „snake,“ the term usually doesn’t have a positive connotation. The comparison to the reptile is often intended to emphasise that the person in question has acted dishonestly or isn’t particularly trustworthy. In the case of Dresden’s Niklas Hauptmann, however, the reason is quite different. Former Dynamo captain and current youth development director Marco Hartmann gave his teammate this nickname in reference to his playing style. „You can’t get him away from the ball. He turns right, left, and you can’t get to him.“
Although, according to Hauptmann himself, the nickname „snake“ has become the exception, this comparison still describes the footballer well: The Köln native is difficult to grasp, moves skillfully in space, and has the ability to glide through the midfield.
The now 29-year-old’s talent was, in a sense, in his genes. His father, Ralf, played a total of 205 Bundesliga matches for Dynamo and 1. FC Köln and also played for the East German national team. Thanks to his time at Effzeh, his son, Niklas, was born in Köln in 1996 and later began his football career at Viktoria Frechen, before the Hauptmanns returned to the East and Niklas joined SC Borea Dresden. There, it was noticed that Hauptmann possessed exceptional vision and a fine passing game – skills that made him a special talent in central midfield.
His path then led him to Dynamo Dresden, where, after seven years in the youth system, he made the leap to the professional team. After a year of training, „Haupe“ quickly became a key player in the second division and caught the attention of 1. FC Köln, where he joined in the summer of 2018, once again following in his father’s footsteps.
Beim „Effzeh“ kämpft Hauptmann jedoch häufig mit Verletzungsproblemen, die ihm nur wenig Spielzeit erlaubten. Um regelmäßig Spielpraxis zu sammeln, wechselte er deshalb in den turbulenten Coronazeiten auf Leihbasis zu Holstein Kiel. Dort findet er wieder zu alter Form zurückfinden und scheitert mit den „Störchen“ nur knapp am Aufstieg zur Bundesliga.
Nach der Leihe endet trotz des starken Jahres in Kiel die Zeit in Köln endgültig. Hauptmann zieht es zurück zu seinem Herzensverein nach Dresden, für den er mittlerweile 167 Pflichtspiele absolviert hat. Auch in dieser Saison hat der Mann mit der Rückennummer 27 eine wichtige Rolle inne und kommt bereits auf drei Scorerpunkte. Die Lilien sollten also gewarnt sein.
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.