Will something like this happen again in German professional football at some point...? It was probably one of the biggest sensations in Bundesliga history. It's the 1997/98 season, when 1. FC Kaiserslautern achieved something unique as a promoted team. “There was incredible euphoria in the Palatinate and we took a wonderful path,” said Otto Rehhagel years later, almost reservedly, about this incredible success. As a newcomer, FCK actually became German champions. An incredible story that has never been written before or to this day.
A total of four German championship titles are in the Red Devils‘ trophy cabinet. But the promoted championship is a very special one. As golden as the times were in the 1990s with two championships and two cup victories as well as participation in international competition they were to become darker later. Between 2018 and 2022, the famous club from the Palatinate suddenly only played in the 3rd league.
At the moment, everyone in the Palatinate has every reason to be happy again. Last season they made it to the DFB Cup final, in which FCK lost to the championship team Bayer Leverkusen. The Red Devils are also in impressive form this season. As second in the table, 1. FC Kaiserslautern travels to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor on Saturday evening (December 14th/8:30pm). Before the ball rolls on the Bölle in the top game, let’s take another closer look at the Lilies‘ upcoming opponent.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Ragnar Ache – 9 Goals | Daniel Hanslik – 6 Assists |
| Daniel Hanslik – 5 Goals | Daisuke Yokota – 3 Assists |
| Boris Tomiak – 4 Goals | Aaron Opoku – 3 Assists |
| Aaron Opoku – 2 Goals | Luca Sirch – 3 Assists |
He was a player under several well-known coaches in the European football business. Aleksandar Ristic is one name, Huub Stevens another. He also played under world champion coach Jogi Löw and the Belgian Eric Gerets. He now belongs to exactly this professional group and is on the sidelines as head coach.
As a trainer, Markus initially gained his first experience in the regional league at SC Kapellen-Erft before moving to the youth department of Bayer Leverkusen. He finally achieved his big breakthrough at Holstein Kiel. There he not only led the club from the 3rd league to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2017, but also surprised the Storks in the following season when he almost managed to make it through. Anfang and the Kiel team only failed in the relegation against VfL Wolfsburg. After a stint at 1. FC Köln, the Köln native finally ended up at SV Darmstadt 98 in the summer of 2020. He coached a total of 37 games for the Lilies. While he finished seventh in the league with the men from Böllenfalltor, he also reached the round of 16 of the DFB Cup with Darmstadt 98. In the summer of 2021, however, the now 50-year-old decided to accept an offer from SV Werder Bremen.
Anfang, who generally stands for good offensive football, has now found his new home at 1. FC Kaiserslautern after two years at Dynamo Dresden. With 29 goals, his team is one of the strongest offensively in the league. Together they currently occupy second place in the 2nd Bundesliga.
This is the offensive of 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The second-place team currently has 29 goals to their name. Only two teams in the league – SV Darmstadt 98 (30) and Hamburger SV (33) – scored more goals in the current season. The above all accurate offense is possibly one of the reasons why things are going so well for the Red Devils at the moment. The Betze men have been unbeaten in seven second division games. They were able to win all of the last three games with three goals of their own – 3-1 against Karlsruhe, 3-0 at Schalke and 3-2 against Braunschweig.
Sorted out of the youth team at FC Schalke 04, then back to his hometown club Rot-Weiß Essen. Regional league – with a mini-job on the side. First for Essen, then for Wattenscheid and Altona in Hamburg as well as Fortuna Düsseldorf II. The dream of professional football shattered? Not at all. Because Boris Tomiak “always believed in himself and never gave up”. In the 2020/21 season, he played his way back into the focus of several professional teams as Düsseldorf’s second representative. When the offer finally came from third division club Kaiserslautern, the now 26-year-old absolutely wanted to take the step. And it turned out to be the completely right decision: “I became a regular player straight away, we got promoted – just amazing.”
Tomiak has now played a total of 124 competitive games for the Red Devils. The Essen native is indispensable in defense. But he doesn’t just impress with his tough defense. The central defender can also score goals. He has a total of 18 goals on his FCK resume and is also ice cold from the spot. Tomiak converted three out of three penalties this season – including the penalty kick last weekend in the derby against Karlsruher SC. However, his penalty secret remains his well-guarded penalty secret. Tomiak with a wink: “I have my own tactics, which I don’t want to reveal. I’m doing well with that at the moment and I hope I get a few more penalties this season…“
The pairings for the first round of the DFB Cup have been drawn: SV Darmstadt 98 will face FC Carl Zeiss Jena away from home. The draw took place on Saturday evening (June 6th) at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Under the supervision of DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth, Referee of the Year 2026, Deniz Aytekin, who acted as the draw's host live on ARD, drew the match between Darmstadt and Jena.
From the warm opening ceremony to the awards ceremony: The German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt offered exciting games, many wonderful encounters and a well-deserved German champion in the Hesse selection, which also included players from the SV 98 ID team.
The first dates for SV 98's preparations for the 2026/27 second division season have been set: On June 25th, the professional team will return to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor to undergo various medical tests and performance diagnostics. The first team training session will take place on June 27th in the Odenwald region.
Who will SV Darmstadt 98 face in the first round of the DFB Cup? This question will be answered this coming Saturday (June 6th). The draw for the first round will be broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau. We'll be taking a look and providing you with all the information. We'll also be celebrating with the fan team's survival in the Kreisklasse B (eighth tier) and taking a look across the border to Texas in the USA. All this and more for you in "Lilies Across the Board" on Wednesday.
Fraser Hornby's time at Darmstadt 98 comes to an end after three years. The Scottish attacking midfielder is moving to VfL Wolfsburg. Both clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee confidential.
An eight-goal thriller to close out the season. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team took to the pitch one last time this season on Saturday (May 30th) – away against FC Eddersheim. The young Lilies secured a 5-3 victory in Eddersheim, finishing the 2025/26 Hessenliga season in eleventh place. Even more remarkable, however, was the U21's run at the end of the season: the Blue and Whites won their last five matches, scoring an impressive 22 goals in the process.
Barcelona, Spain. A global city right on the Mediterranean. Over 1.7 million people live here. And one of them is Clemens Riedel. The 22-year-old former Darmstadt player moved from SV 98 to Espanyol Barcelona last summer – from youth academy to professional in the Spanish first division. We spoke with Riedel about his first year in Barcelona, the past season, and his still close ties to Darmstadt.
SV 98 can continue to rely on the services of Fabian Nürnberger. The Lilies have extended the expiring contract with the Bulgarian international.
Grayson Dettoni will continue to wear the SV 98 jersey. The Lilies have exercised their option to buy the defender, who was previously on loan from FC Bayern Munich.
The German Football Championship for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) kicks off on Sunday – and it's taking place in Darmstadt's Bürgerpark! Last week, the Darmstadt 98ers' home ground offered a different kind of sporting event: a karate demonstration. We also take a look at the opponents for the new season and celebrate two birthdays this week. You'll find all this and much more about Darmstadt 98 in our usual "Lilies Across the Board".
„I’m proud of you,“ were the words of U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt to the team after they secured their place in the Hessenliga. On Saturday (May 23rd), SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team had the chance to stay in the league against Turabdin Babylon Pohlheim – and they seized it impressively! The young Lilies delivered a convincing 5-1 goal fest, but at the same time still needed help from other teams to guarantee their survival. However, because their direct rivals, CSC 03 Kassel, narrowly lost in Stadtallendorf, the U21 team was finally able to celebrate.
For the fourth time, the Haftpflichtkasse insurance company and SV Darmstadt 98 have jointly awarded four clubs with the Volunteer Award. The award ceremony, including the presentation of the checks, took place last Sunday (May 17th) before the home game against SC Paderborn at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. The Volunteer Award, established in 2023 by the Haftpflichtkasse and SV Darmstadt 98, aims to strengthen volunteer engagement and promote outstanding projects.