Preparation time is also test match time. After the Lilies have already played three test matches against amateur clubs from the area, head coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team will meet the regional league team FSV Frankfurt on Wednesday (10/7 at 7pm), the game will be played in the PSD Bank Arena in Frankfurt-Bornheim. We took a closer look at the 98ers‘ test match opponents for you.
99 years ago, FSV Frankfurt almost became German champions, only in the championship final did the Bornheimers lose 1-0 to 1. FC Nürnberg after extra time. 40,000 spectators watched the final in Frankfurt’s Waldstadion. Eight years later, in 1933, the FSV was crowned South German champions again. But it was never enough for the big hit; in 1938, the Frankfurt team lost 3-1 in the cup final against Rapid Vienna.
Even after the Second World War, the Bornheimers played in the first division, and it was not until 1962 that they were relegated to the second division. In the next 35 years, the Frankfurt team always played in the second or third league. The big bang followed in 1996: relegation to the fourth-class Oberliga Hessen, and the club was also on the verge of bankruptcy. Although this could be averted, sporting success still failed to materialise.
After several failed attempts, they were promoted to the 3rd league (then regional league) in 2007, and the following summer they managed to move straight through to the 2nd Bundesliga – even though qualifying for the newly founded 3rd league was already considered difficult. After a few years in the second league, the Frankfurt team had to go back to the third league in 2016, and just a year later they even went to the regional league.
Since 2017, the fans on the Bornheimer Hang have been seeing regional league football again, and the FSV has had to be careful twice since then that it doesn’t go down another level. The 2022/23 season, on the other hand, was the best sporting season in recent years, with the team finishing fifth in the table and last season the Bornheimers were ninth.
The past season could hardly have been more spectacular; Schott Mainz was welcomed to the Bornheimer Hang on the first match day. After a 0-2 deficit, the guests from Rhineland-Palatinate made it 1-3 in the 90th minute, and their hope of at least one point at the start sank. But what happened next bordered on a sporting miracle. Frankfurt scored in the second, seventh and ninth minutes of stoppage time and turned the game around to a 4-3 opening win. Five days later, FSV only lost on penalties to Hansa Rostock in the first round of the DFB Cup. In the end, they finished in a single-digit place in the table, but the Bornheimers missed out on winning the Hessen Cup and the associated re-entry into the DFB Cup.
At the end of June, the regional league team announced the early extension of the contract with their head coach Tim Görner. The 28-year-old, who has been working in various roles in both the junior and men’s divisions since 2016, took over the position of head coach in March 2022. At that time, FSV was still in a relegation zone. „Under Tim’s leadership, our team has developed steadily in recent years. The daily hard work of the coaching and functional team as well as their commitment on and off the pitch have convinced us to continue on this path together,“ said managing director Robert Lempka about the extension.
The second consecutive away game, and the last of the season, is upon us. Once again on a Sunday (May 10th, 1:30pm), Darmstadt will be playing away – this time against SC Preußen Münster. Everything you need to know for your final away trip of the season to the LVM-Preußenstadion, about three and a half hours away, can be found here in the usual fan information section.
There's a lot going on at the Bölle. The 98th Darmstadt baby of 2026, along with their family, visited the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, and they weren't the only ones. Where else the Bölle gang has ended up, and many more news items about the club, can be found here in our "Lilies Across the Board" section, as every Wednesday.
SV Darmstadt 98 informed all season ticket holders about the season ticket procedure for the 2026/27 season on Wednesday (May 6th) and would also like to share this letter on the club's own website.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
