For 1. FC Kaiserslautern, sporting tragedy and triumph were separated by just seven days in May 1996. On May 18th, after a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen, the club’s first-ever relegation from the Bundesliga was confirmed. After 33 years of uninterrupted top-flight football, the Red Devils had to make the drop to the second division. But just one week later, the chance for a conciliatory end to the season presented itself at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. FCK seized it. With a 1-0 victory against Karlsruher SC, Kaiserslautern won the DFB Cup for the second time, after their first title in 1990.
The team had to fight hard for their way to Berlin. Right from the start, Kaiserslautern needed 120 minutes to defeat Fortuna Köln 4-3 after extra time. A 3-0 win against SG Wattenscheid 09 was followed by a 1-0 victory against Schalke 04. The quarter-final was also dramatic. Against FC 08 Homburg, Kaiserslautern again only prevailed 4-3 after extra time. In the semi-final, they faced none other than Bayer Leverkusen. Miroslav Kadlec scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 win at the Betzenberg stadium, sending Kaiserslautern to Berlin.
There, on May 25th, they faced Karlsruher SC. In front of 75,800 spectators, Martin Wagner provided the decisive moment shortly before halftime. He scored in the 42nd minute to make it 1-0. Coach Eckhard Krautzun’s team held onto this lead until the final whistle. 1. FC Kaiserslautern won the DFB Cup, just seven days after one of the bitterest moments in its club history. A season that had ended with their first-ever relegation from the Bundesliga was thus transformed into a title-winning campaign. At the same time, the cup victory marked the beginning of an extraordinary turnaround. Just two years later, FCK would become German champions as a newly promoted team.
After two goalless matches to start the season, Torsten Lieberknecht’s team won both the derby in the cup and the away game against St. Pauli. The Red Devils currently sit in sixth place in the second division with five points.
| Opposition | Score | Result |
| St. Pauli (A) | 2:1 | 3 |
| Waldhof Mannheim (A) | 1:0 | Next Round |
| Karlsruher SC (H) | 0:0 | 1 |
| VfL Wolfsburg (A) | 0:0 | 1 |
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Erencan Yardimci – 1 Tor | Semih Şahin – 1 Assist |
| Thierry Fidjeu-Tazemeta – 1 Tor |
Torsten Lieberknecht
Head coach of FC KaiserslauternA group of eleven men is turned away and forced to leave. What sounds like a classic bar story aptly describes the current situation at Kaiserslautern. The professionals from Betzenberg are currently acting as bouncers, letting hardly anyone through. Across the league and cup, Kaiserslautern have conceded only one goal so far – the best record in the league. Goalkeeper Julian Krahl plays a major role in this. With 19 saves, he leads the 2. Bundesliga in this statistic. Anyone wanting to get past the Kaiserslautern goal right now will need some pretty convincing arguments.
It’s November 26, 2019, Champions League, Galatasaray versus Club Brugge. In Istanbul, stoppage time is already underway when Fatih Terim makes another substitution. A striker just 17 years old comes on for Jean Michaël Seri, making his professional debut: Erencan Yardımcı. He doesn’t have much time; a few moments later, the match is over. Nevertheless, this appearance is remarkable: even before Yardımcı has played his first Süper Lig match, he’s already racked up some minutes on Europe’s biggest club stage.
Yardımcı was born in İzmit in 2002. As a youth player, he moved from Kocaelispor and Yuvam İzmitspor to 41 Futbol Kulübü before joining Galatasaray. The tall striker quickly made a name for himself there, becoming the top scorer at an international U17 tournament in Antalya in 2018 and joining the first team for their training camp a year later.
Yardımcı continued his professional football career in 2021 with Eyüpspor, then a third-division club. His development subsequently accelerated, primarily through loan spells. He moved to Alanyaspor and then Pendikspor, where he finally made the leap to top-flight football in the 2023/24 season, scoring six goals in 28 Süper Lig appearances. In the summer of 2024, TSG Hoffenheim signed him for around four million euros and immediately loaned him to Sturm Graz. There, Yardımcı gained further Champions League experience and celebrated the Austrian championship title with the club.
After half a year at Hoffenheim, he was loaned to Eintracht Braunschweig in the summer of 2025. Anyone who thinks of a 1.88-metre-tall centre forward as a classic penalty-box striker is only partially correct when it comes to Yardımcı. His greatest strengths are his speed. He was clocked at 35.55 km/h during his second-division debut for Braunschweig. Yardımcı constantly looks to make runs in behind the defence, works hard off the ball, and combines his pace with physical presence and heading ability. Since the summer of 2026, he has been playing for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and has already scored a goal against St. Pauli.
At just 24 years old, Yardımcı already boasts stints at Galatasaray, Sturm Graz, and Hoffenheim, as well as appearances in the Champions League, the Süper Lig, the Bundesliga, and the 2. Bundesliga. He also has an Austrian league title and a wealth of experience on various footballing stages. His potential is therefore very promising, and Yardımcı still has plenty of time to consistently convert his potential into goals.
The draw for the second round of the DFB-Pokal has taken place: SV Darmstadt 98 will play away at SV Elversberg. This was the result of the draw held at the German Football Museum on Saturday evening (September 5th), featuring "draw master" Bastian Schweinsteiger and broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau.
A solid first half, including a missed penalty and a bitter goal just before the halftime whistle. And a second half that left everyone involved fuming afterward. In the end, a deserved defeat was recorded, and the Darmstadt players were correspondingly self-critical. Here are the reactions to the 3 - 0 loss at 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Darmstadt 98 will return to southern Hesse empty-handed: 1. FC Kaiserslautern secured a 3-0 (1-0) victory on Saturday afternoon. Sauer (43') scored from close range just before halftime, and in the 64th minute, the Red Devils added another through Tazemeta. Berisha then sealed the win in stoppage time (90+4). Darmstadt 98 remain on just one point after four matchdays this season.
Darmstadt 98 travel to Betzenberg for their fourth matchday away at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the Hannover 96 game. Kai Klefisch returns to the starting eleven after serving his suspension, with Nicolas Verkooijen initially taking a place on the bench. Yannik Lührs replaces the suspended Aleksandar Vukotic, while Lars Kehl comes in for Yosuke Furukawa. It will be the first start for both players. William Mikelbrencis is in the squad for the first time, while Manolo Merx is unavailable due to illness.
Up to the Betzenberg! On Saturday (September 5th/1pm), SV 98 will be playing away against FC Kaiserslautern as part of Matchday 4. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Kaiserslautern for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Our head coach spoke about the important "four-field" (the area between the stands and the goal) and his belief in the team's development ahead of tomorrow's away game at the Betzenberg stadium. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Kaiserslautern (September 5th, 1pm) here.
Commitment to sports, respectful interaction, and joint efforts for a better Darmstadt. All the values that SV Darmstadt 98 strives to embody, and which the Martinsviertel Boxing Club is also meant to symbolise, came together on Thursday evening (September 3rd). At the Boxing Club's open house, which also marked the launch of a joint project between SV 98, the independent organisation Rope e.V., and the Darmstadt Youth Services, the foundation was laid for a new sports program in the Martinsviertel district.
On Saturday (September 5th), Darmstadt will travel to Kaiserslautern for their fourth matchday fixture. Their historical record against Kaiserslautern couldn't be more balanced: five wins, five draws, and five losses. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
A premiere for SV 98. The Lilies have played their first match in the "Bundesliga Talent Series". In the newly introduced additional U21 competition, the team from southern Hesse drew 3-3 (2-1) with SV Elversberg despite trailing at the break.
On Saturday afternoon (September 5th, 1pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will play away against 1. FC Kaiserslautern. This report provides you with all the important information for your visit to the stadium. For Darmstadt fans who decide to attend at the last minute: There will be a ticket office for the away section (more information below).
The train, the train, the train has no brakes! At least musically – because our relief train to Kaiserslautern really picks up speed on Saturday (September 5th). We also look back at the official inauguration of Jonathan-Heimes-Platz and get ready for the opening of the Martinsviertel Boxing Club. As usual, in "Lilies Across the Board" you'll find all the news and stories from the club life of SV Darmstadt 98.
