Spain and Croatia. Poland and Austria. The Dutch and Swiss as well as Italy and Turkey. And then there is the final on July 14th between the Spanish national team and England. The Olympic Stadium in Berlin hosted a total of six, sometimes breathtaking, games at UEFA Euro 2024 this summer. A good three weeks later there is no longer any trace of the EM hustle and bustle. Instead, everyday life in the second division was back on the agenda for the third largest German stadium after Dortmund and Munich: Hertha BSC on the first matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga against SC Paderborn. And exactly where the Spaniards were crowned European champions 20 days earlier, the team from East Westphalia celebrated last Saturday (August 3rd).
A goal just before half-time. A goal shortly after the break. And the victory belonged to SC Paderborn, who started the new season with a 2-1 opening win at Hertha. Were the points hinted at at the start? Yes, if Lukas Kwasniok has his way. At the press conference before the game, the East Westphalia head coach confirmed that his team had completed “perfect preparation” in the summer. “Now it’s about delivering in the first game,” Kwasniok continued.
No sooner said than done – even if, despite the victory at Hertha, not everything went smoothly and the head coach said his men still had “room for improvement”. But what are the strengths of Paderborn? What kind of guy is the man on the sidelines? And which player should you particularly have on your list when the duel between Ostwestfalen and SV Darmstadt 98 comes up on the second second division matchday? We took a closer look at the Lilies‘ upcoming opponent.
| Arrivals | Departures |
| Sven Michel (Striker, FC Augsburg) | Sirlord Conteh (1. FC Heidenheim) |
| Mika Baur (Striker, SC Freiburg II) | Kai Klefisch (SV Darmstadt 98) |
| Felix Götze (Defender, Rot-Weiß Essen) | Maximilian Rohr (SV Elversberg) |
| Santiago Castañeda (Defensive Midfield, MSV Duisburg) | Jannes Heuer (1. FC Kaiserslautern) |
| Luca Herrmann (Central Midfield, Dynamo Dresden) | Jannik Huth (SC Freiburg) |
A realist who loves order and faces facts. This is Lukas Kwasniok. At the age of 19, he gave up his dream of paid football and started training to become a middle-level civil servant. But the early end of his playing career later made the Polish-born coach an experienced and hardened coach. Having worked in the Karlsruher SC youth team for many years, Kwasniok developed his own approach. He developed his vision and followed his principles. Then he reaped the fruits of his work: In the 2019/20 season he was promoted to the 3rd league as head coach with 1. FC Saarbrücken and also became the first fourth division team ever to reach the semi-finals of the DFB Cup with the Saarland team .
In the summer of 2021, he moved from Baden-Württemberg to North Rhine-Westphalia, where he took over the second division team SC Paderborn in East Westphalia. Today, the 43-year-old trainer is characterised by security and confidence in himself. For him, defeats are sometimes necessary stages for further success. Since 2021, the SCP has had a trainer in the dugout who once described his work to the Weser-Kurier as follows: “I want to develop a game idea that is authentic and not artificial. A gait that suits my nature.”
The away strength of SC Paderborn!? It was like that last season. Will this trend continue into the new season with the 2-1 win at Hertha BSC? From the 17 away duels last year, the East Westphalia team got a total of 27 points, which put them in a strong fourth place in the away table. The first three points on a foreign pitch are already in the account because the Paderborn team were both efficient and, above all, stable in defense in Berlin. Only Magdeburg and Cologne (both 9) had to accept fewer shots from their opponents than the SCP (10), with Paderborn not allowing Hertha to have any big chances at all.
This cheering in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. His competitive debut for SC Paderborn. His first game in the 2nd Bundesliga. His first goal and three points in the bag. “If I dreamed of something, then it was exactly that,” reported an overjoyed SC Paderborn 07 central defender Felix Götze. Dream debut.
Review. Born in Dortmund, he was trained at the black and yellow Borussia and later at FC Bayern Munich. His path to becoming a footballer? Signed. “The first thing I saw when I was a child was the ball. When you have two older brothers who both played football, you have no choice,” he jokes with a smile on his face. Felix the youngest. Brother Fabian the eldest. And Mario is probably the best-known member of the Götze family. “I wouldn’t be here without him – without his tips,” Felix once said about his brother Mario. He previously celebrated his Bundesliga debut for FC Augsburg in the 2018/19 season and later scored his first professional goal against FC Bayern Munich – a goal that he dedicated to Mario. The breakthrough in his career?
Not quite. Always plagued by bad luck with injuries, the now 26-year-old only went to the third division once. There he played for both 1. FC Kaiserslautern and, most recently, Rot-Weiß Essen. Everything needs it’s time. Since this summer, Götze has wanted to attack in the 2nd Bundesliga. His debut was already promising. He now wants to continue on his path for SC Paderborn. And yet he still has a dream, as he once revealed: to stand on the pitch in the same jersey as his brother Mario.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.
Tickets for the league match in Nürnberg (Nov. 7th) and the cup match in Elversberg (Oct. 27th) are available for purchase now.
For the upcoming home match on Saturday (October 10th, 2026, at 1pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information. Since the start of the season, we have been offering dedicated entrances for women at the west side of the stadium. Additionally, there is a "Bölle Bande" family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance. Please also take note of the information provided by HEAG regarding the autumn break.