Unmistakably, he glides elegantly across the sky. And when he’s not soaring through the air, he perches atop his nest, which can be up to two metres in diameter. His predominantly white plumage defines his appearance. His red beak and legs provide a striking contrast. We’re talking, of course, about the stork.
These colours were long reflected in football as well. Holstein Kiel, also known as the „Storks,“ used to play in white jerseys and shorts with red socks – an appearance strongly reminiscent of the bird they were named after. Today, the color scheme is slightly different, but the nickname remains.
The team from northern Germany currently sits in 15th place in the table. Before the last matchday, they had gone four consecutive second-division games without a win. But then there was a change in the coaching position. New coach = fresh start? Tim Walter was back on the sidelines for Kiel last weekend, having previously coached KSV Holstein Kiel in the 2018/19 season.
In his Kiel comeback, SV Elversberg visited the Holstein Stadium, and the Storks immediately secured their first point against the fourth-placed team. The Storks intend to use this momentum to establish themselves above the relegation zone.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| David Zec – 5 Goals | Alexander Bernhardsson – 6 Assists |
| Phil Harres – 4 Goals | Phil Harres – 2 Assists |
| Ivan Nekic – 2 Goals | John Tolkin – 2 Assists |
| Alexander Bernhardsson – 2 Goals | Niklas Niehoff – 2 Assists |
| Jonas Therkelsen – 2 Goals | Adrian Kapralik – 1 Assists |
Tim Walter
Head coach of Holstein KielThe league is a marathon, not a sprint, or so the old football adage goes. Kiel players cover an average of around 122 kilometres per game. Only Arminia Bielefeld and Dynamo Dresden cover more distance. The Storks also rank highly in terms of high-intensity runs per game: with 721 runs, they are third in the league, surpassed only by Schalke and Bielefeld. The KSV players not only cover great distances, but also frequently push themselves to their limits.
Comeback qualities can be crucial in the relegation battle. One Kiel player exemplifies this: Alexander Bernhardsson. The attacking midfielder unfortunately missed eleven games due to foot problems. Last weekend, fans in the Kiel stands breathed a sigh of relief: In the 71st minute, „Berra,“ as he is also known, finally made his return, ending his three-month absence. Although he left the pitch without scoring, he boosted the team’s belief in staying in the league. On his immediate return, Holstein Kiel secured a point against the top team from Elversberg.
The Swede is under contract in Kiel, his first club outside his home country. He joined the Storks at the beginning of 2024 and is currently experiencing the peak of his career. The Swedish national team only really took notice of the 27-year-old during his time at KSV Holstein Kiel. At what is statistically the prime age for a footballer, he doesn’t just want to be a promising talent, but also a key player in the hunt for goals.
Although he’s just returned from injury, Kiel’s number eleven, with eight scorer points in 15 matches, is still the Stork’s most offensively potent player. How many minutes he’ll be able to play against SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday afternoon remains to be seen. It’s clear, however, that he can be dangerous even with just a few minutes on the pitch. It’s no coincidence that Darmstadt’s head coach already stated before the first leg that Bernhardsson „is one of the top players in the league.“
SV 98 have secured the services of highly sought-after Nicolas Verkooijen. The Belgian U21 international joins the club in southern Hesse on a free transfer after his contract with Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven expired at the end of the season.
The "Bundesliga Talent Series" will launch in the 2026/27 season as an additional U21 competition to promote young talent in German professional football. SV 98 is one of 26 clubs from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga that have committed to participating.
Tim Arnold will play in the Regionalliga West next season. SV 98 is loaning the 19-year-old to Sportfreunde Siegen. The fourth-division club also has an option to sign him permanently.
Want to take your team to the Heinerfest stage? Then apply now! SV Darmstadt 98 is looking for four teams to be part of the Lilies' Heinerfest game show and compete against former Lilie player Michael Stegmayer. The show takes place on Saturday, July 4th, from 4pm to 6pm. Amateur teams, groups of friends, families, fan clubs, and club groups are all welcome to participate.
With the start of the Hessian summer holidays on June 29th, the Merck Lilies football camps will of course also be in full swing again. You can find all the information here.
SV 98 is making changes to the head coaching positions for its U21 and U19 teams for the upcoming season. Sebastian Schmitt, who has been in charge of the U21s since February, will now coach the U19s. Conversely, the current U19 coach, Patrick Kurt, will take over the position with the U21s.
The SV Darmstadt 98 fan shop at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be closed next Monday (June 22nd). It will reopen on Tuesday (June 23rd) with its regular opening hours.
Where are the Darmstadt 98 players spending their summer holidays? We'll give you a brief overview. Furthermore, SV 98 welcomed their first new signing, Noah Weißhaupt, to the Böllenfalltor stadium this week, and the club's veterans team will be playing two matches again this weekend. We'll keep you up-to-date with all the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 in our "Lilies Across the Board" section.
At the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor against FC Homburg: Ticket sales for the friendly match on July 14, 2026, at 6pm against the regional league team begin on June 18 at noon. Tickets are available as usual at the ticket office at the stadium and in our online ticket shop. We would also like to draw your attention to this very special match day: The friendly against FC Homburg will put our youngest fans in the spotlight, giving them their first ever children's match day at the stadium, an event never before seen at the Merck Stadium.
Fabio Torsiello will also play for Alemannia Aachen next season. SV 98 is loaning the 21-year-old attacking player to the third-division club for another season. Aachen also has an option to sign him permanently.
