It was the sixth matchday of the 2017/18 season, a sunny Sunday in September, and the second division fixture between SpVgg Greuther Fürth and Fortuna Düsseldorf was on the schedule. With Florian Neuhaus, Friedhelm Funkel, and Serdar Dursun on or off the pitch, the duel ended 3-1 for Fürth – thanks in part to a brace from Dursun. At first glance, probably just a typical second division victory. But historically significant and unforgettable for everyone in Fürth.
Since that matchday in the 2017/18 season, the team from Sportpark Ronhof has topped the all-time 2. Bundesliga table – and has done so for almost nine years. Greuther Fürth has amassed 1827 points, a full 137 points ahead of second-placed St. Pauli. 495 wins, 342 draws, and 420 losses in 1257 2. Bundesliga matches! Many impressive statistics, each a record in its own right. The goal statistics are equally remarkable: 1856 goals scored and 1653 conceded. No other team in the history of the 2. Bundesliga has amassed more.
But how are they doing now? Let’s take a look.
Unlike the all-time table, Greuther Fürth currently sit in 17th place before matchday 30, occupying a direct relegation spot. However, as is well known, the league is not only tight at the top but also in the bottom half of the table. Only six points separate Fürth from tenth place. Furthermore, Fürth are currently level on points with the teams in safety. The last five matches started promisingly for Greuther Fürth, with victories against Hannover and Elversberg giving them a boost in their fight for survival. With a total of seven points from their last five games, Fürth certainly have no reason to be ashamed.
| Opposition Team | Result | Points |
| Preussen Münster (A) | 0:0 | 1 |
| SC Paderborn (H) | 0:2 | 0 |
| Karlsruher SC (A) | 3:1 | 0 |
| SV 07 Elversberg (H) | 2:0 | 3 |
| Hannover 96 (A) | 1:2 | 3 |
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Noel Futkeu – 12 Goals | Felix Klaus – 7 Assists |
| Felix Klaus – 7 Goals | Branimir Hrgota – 7 Assists |
| Branimir Hrgota – 4 Goals | Noel Futkeu – 5 Assists |
| Dennis Srbeny – 3 Goals | Dennis Srbeny – 2 Assists |
| Jannik Dehm – 2 Goals | Aaron Keller – 2 Assists |
Heiko Vogel
Head coach of Greuther FürthAttack: Loss of possession. Verdict: Goal conceded. That’s how the decision would go if the judge were from Fürth. Greuther Fürth ruthlessly exploits the opposing team’s turnovers. Eleven times already, a ball recovery by Fürth has led to a goal – only Elversberg has scored more. Darmstadt must therefore be extremely cautious, so that against Vogel’s team, the saying „loss of possession = goal conceded“ doesn’t apply.
Near Zurich, on a football pitch by Lake Greifensee. It was there, in 2005, that two twin brothers faced off during training. Their names? Jan and Nico Elvedi. While Nico has been playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach for eleven years, his brother Jan has played for a variety of clubs throughout his career. Despite their different paths, Jan Elvedi repeatedly emphasises the close bond he shares with his twin brother. He did so again in an interview with the newspaper „Blick“: „We always played together. Nico came first for me, then my teammates.“
His career began in the Zurich youth academy, and he also played in Switzerland for Winterthur, Cham, Wohlen, and Kriens. Six years ago – more precisely, in the summer of 2020 – the 29-year-old first gained a foothold in Germany. He spent three years each at Jahn Regensburg and Kaiserslautern before a loan move to Fürth in the winter of 2026. The Swiss player, like his brother, plays in central defence. Both brothers dream of facing each other in the cup every year. This almost happened in 2024. However, instead of the twins, Jan faced Saarbrücken in the semi-final, who had previously knocked out Borussia Mönchengladbach. Saarbrücken’s cup run ended against Kaiserslautern, and Jan Elvedi achieved what his brother had never managed before: reaching the DFB Cup final in Berlin.
Greuther Fürth’s cup dreams are currently far from reality, but the tension is palpable. Every point counts in the relegation battle – it’s fortunate that Elvedi has been an immediate asset. Before his arrival, Greuther Fürth conceded an average of 2.4 goals per game; with Elvedi, that number has dropped to just 1.5. He has played the full 90 minutes in eight of his ten appearances in the green and white jersey. Will the same be true on Sunday (April 19th/1:30pm) against Darmstadt?
Greuther Fürth hosts Darmstadt. SV Darmstadt 98 will visit SpVgg Greuther Fürth on Sunday (April 19th). Kick-off in Franconia is at 1:30 pm. Can the team from southern Hesse continue their winning streak against Fürth? And will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg continue their winning streaks against Greuther Fürth? As usual, we've compiled the most important facts and figures about the match for you in our Top Facts.
From the early 1980s, he was active in the service of SV Darmstadt 98 for almost four decades: We Lilies congratulate the former team doctor of SVD, Dr. Michael Weingart, most sincerely on his 75th birthday this Wednesday (April 15th)!
There are five games left in the season, meaning a total of 15 points are still up for grabs. But Darmstadt's focus is entirely on Sunday's match (April 19th, 1:30pm) against Greuther Fürth. From the media briefing with Fabian Nürnberger, from the hockey pitch to San Antonio: We report on all these topics and many more. As usual, you can find all the latest news from SV 98's club life here in our weekly column "Lilies Across the Board."
SV 98 mourns the loss of its former player Roger Prinzen, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday evening (April 13th) at the age of 57.
The long wait for a point is over! After four consecutive defeats, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally secured some points. On their home turf, the young Lilies drew 1-1 against TSV Eintracht Stadtallendorf last Saturday (April 11th). Looking at the league table, it was clear even before the match that it wouldn't be easy, as a full ten places separated the two teams in the LOTTO Hessenliga standings. However, the Lilies' U21 team remained evenly matched with the seventh-placed side and collected a crucial home point.
This match is a tradition – at least at the veterans' level: The SV Darmstadt 98 veterans team visited Real Madrid for the third time. The game was played last Thursday (April 9th) at the "Royal Whites'" training ground in the Valdebebas district of Madrid.
The season is drawing to a close, and SV Darmstadt 98's penultimate away match takes them to the Wildpark stadium. On Sunday (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC. We need a large turnout of Darmstadt fans to support them. Advance ticket sales for club members begin next Wednesday (April 15th) at noon. All ticket information can be found in this announcement.
It happened in their 15th home game of the season. Darmstadt lost on their own turf. Deservedly so. Although SV 98 tried everything against the visitors from Hannover until the final whistle, the Lower Saxons proved too strong on Saturday evening. In our analysis, we take another look at the match.
For the first time this season, SV Darmstadt 98 finished a match at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor without any points. The Lilies offered more resistance to Hannover 96's two goals in the second half. However, the pressure exerted by the South Hessians at the end proved fruitless. Read here what the players and both head coaches had to say about the defeat, which Darmstadt considered deserved overall.
Everything has to end and so the undefeated home record of SV 98 ended on Saturday night. Hannover 96 triumphed 2-0 (1-0) to hand the Lilies their first home loss of the season at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
Another top match at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. On matchday 29 (April 11th/8:30pm), Hannover 96 visits Darmstadt. For the clash with their direct league rivals, Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven. The suspended Lidberg and Klefisch are replaced by Lakenmacher and Papela, and Niklas Schmidt comes in for Marco Richter. Bartosz Bialek returns to the Darmstadt 98 matchday squad for the first time this calendar year after recovering from injury.
Once again at 8:30pm, floodlights, top match, and at the Bölle! On Saturday (April 11th/8:30pm), Hannover 96 visits Darmstadt, and once again two teams from the top five meet at Nieder-Ramstädter-Straße. What do the two head coaches have to say before the match? Who will be the referee? And who will be the commentator? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the game against the Lower Saxony side for you in "Matchday Compact."