"A bird in the hand is worth a bird on the roof." This saying should be familiar to many people. It means that it's better to be content with what you have than to take the risk of parting with something and starting something new. However, the Ulmer Spatzen have not taken this path and decided just over two weeks ago (March 11th) to release their successful coach Thomas Wörle, with whom they made the run from the Regionalliga to the 2. Liga, and to continue the current season with U19 coach Robert Lechleiter.
Lechleiter made a solid debut with relegation-threatened SSV Ulm. The club drew away at Karlsruher SC. They also won a friendly at home against 1860 Munich last Thursday (March 20). Ulm is counting on Lechleiter’s familiarity with the club, the environment, and the players. In the current situation, „there’s no need for a typical fireman who turns everything upside down,“ managing director Markus Thiele explained his decision.
On Friday (March 28, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt travels to SSV Ulm. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw at home against the Danube Swabians. We’ll take a closer look at Darmstadt’s upcoming opponent for you.
| Top Scorers |
Top Assists |
| Semir Telalovic – 9 Goals | Maurice Krattenmacher – 7 Assists |
| Felix Higl – 4 Goals | Dennis Chessa – 3 Assists |
| Aaron Keller – 3 Goals | Max Brandt – 2 Assists |
| Maurice Krattenmacher – 2 Goals | Tom Gaal – 2 Assists |
| Philipp Strompf – 2 Goals | Oliver Batista Meier – 2 Assists |
The signing of Robert Lechleiter could prove to be a trump card for Ulm. However, the former striker is an unknown quantity in the professional coaching business, and SSV Ulm will be Lechleiter’s first head coaching position in professional football. The 44-year-old nevertheless brings experience: Along the way, he has learned from coaching legend Jürgen Klopp and former Lilie and current DFB assistant coach Sandro Wagner.
Robert Lechleiter’s coaching career began in 2015 at TSV Aßling. At Unterhaching, he was the U19 coach from 2018 to 2020, before Lechleiter spent a year and a half as assistant coach to Sandro Wagner. „Sandro is a totally positive guy who has a great way of dealing with the team. He has a particularly good influence on young players. I also gain impressions from coaches I’ve played under myself,“ Lechleiter said in an interview with the DFB.
After his time with Wagner, he took over Unterhaching’s U19 team again before finally moving to SSV Ulm’s youth team in 2024. Since March of this year, he has been the head coach of a professional club for the first time in his career. With the Sparrows, Lechleiter aims to play an attacking and bold style of football that will keep Ulm in the second division.
Lechleiter continues to place great emphasis on team structure and the players‘ compatibility. His bold approach to attacking football may also have been inspired by former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp. Lechleiter was able to spend a week shadowing Klopp and the Reds. Ulm fans certainly wouldn’t mind experiencing a touch of Liverpool in their Donaustadion in the future…
Ulm’s strengths lie primarily in fighting spirit and commitment. In terms of duels won, the Sparrows have the third-best record in the 2. Bundesliga with 2,832. Only Elversberg (2,835) and SSV Jahn Regensburg (2,883) have won more duels. Furthermore, with a total of 3,039 kilometers, the Danube Swabians have covered the fifth most kilometers in the 2. Bundesliga. But Ulm’s impressive performance goes beyond fighting spirit: they have scored an impressive five times from penalties and not missed a single shot. This puts them in second place in this category with Hertha BSC, behind Fortuna Düsseldorf (7).
When the final whistle sounded on May 4, 2024, there was cheering, celebrating, laughter, and tears. SSV Ulm had truly achieved it: They had made it from the Regionalliga to the 2. Bundesliga. However, Christian Ortag, the goalkeeper of SSV Ulm, only had one thing in mind that day: get off the pitch as quickly as possible, away from the team, and out of the Donaustadion. The reason for this was a special one: his wife, Laura, was in labour.
„It started in the first half, but then really started in the second,“ Ortag reported. But he barely noticed it on the pitch. Fortunately, his fellow goalkeeper, Lorenz Otto, later informed him about it. The 2-0 win against Viktoria Köln and the subsequent promotion celebration were of little interest to Ortag at this point: „My mind was immediately focused on the topic of family – how do I get to my wife quickly? (…) We were overjoyed that the timing worked out so well that we made it to the hospital together,“ he explained. There, it took only 45 minutes for their second son, Nick, to be born.
He made up for the promotion celebration a little later. „When I got out of the hospital, I joined the boys in town. But when it came to alcohol, the boys already had a head start,“ Ortag grinned.
Present. In the 2. Bundesliga, the goalkeeper is a regular member of the Sparrows‘ starting lineup – he extended his contract this season until 2028, despite having to sit out for three months due to a broken collarbone. Now, however, he’s back in top shape and helping his team with crucial saves. „Chris Ortag is an immensely important player and character for us. He embodies the values of our club and team and has delivered outstanding performances in recent years. He has played a very large part in the successes we have celebrated together,“ said SSV Managing Director Markus Thiele, commenting on the goalkeeper’s significance in the context of his contract extension.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
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.