Off to the north! But this time, SV Darmstadt 98's DFB Cup kickoff won't be in Hamburg against Teutonia Ottensen like last year. No, the Lilies will face VfB Lübeck in the first round. Kick-off is next Saturday (August 16th) at 6:00pm at the Lohmühle Stadium. There's still time to take a closer look at SV 98's cup opponent. Who is the head coach? How many times has VFB Lübeck actually made it to the DFB Cup? And how has VfB Lübeck started the current season?
VfB Lübeck has been playing in the Regionalliga Nord for two years now. Three matchdays have been completed in the current season, but the Lohmühle team doesn’t seem to have fully settled into the league routine yet. After a successful start with a 2-0 home win against Bremer SV, a 3-1 defeat at SV Meppen followed. On the third matchday, they suffered a decisive 4-0 home defeat against VfB Oldenburg. This means Lübeck has three points so far.
Antonio Verinac is the name of the centre forward for VfB Lübeck. If anyone scores for the team from Schleswig-Holstein, it’s probably him. The 20-year-old has already found the net twice in his three Regionalliga matches so far. The striker, who is over 1.90 meters tall, played the full 90 minutes in all three games.
Verinac has been under contract with VfB Lübeck since this summer and is expected to continue his goal-scoring streak for the northern German club. However, the far north is no unfamiliar territory for the German-Croatian. Trained at FC St. Pauli, Werder Bremen, and VfB Lübeck, Verinac began his career in men’s football at Lok Leipzig. After spells at SSV Jeddeloh II and the U21 team of 1. FC Köln, he enjoyed a remarkable season with ETSV Hamburg in the Hamburg Oberliga, scoring 25 goals in 29 matches. This talent didn’t go unnoticed for long. This summer, he finally returned to Lohmühle, where he intends to continue his scoring streak.
Name: Guerino Capretti
Head coach of VfB Lübeck
Side note: In April of this year, Capretti and his assistant coach Pierre Becken extended their contracts with VfB Lübeck for another two years, until at least the summer of 2027. The head coach himself said: „I’m looking forward to continuing our collaboration. The first step has been taken, and I’ve realised what this club is capable of. That’s one of the reasons why I’m extremely confident about continuing my career at VfB Lübeck.“
VfB Lübeck looks back on a long football tradition and numerous regional successes. The club has played a total of 39 DFB-Pokal matches to date. The first match took place in the 1954/55 season, when they achieved a 2-1 away victory against Spandauer SV in front of 20,000 spectators.
VfB has won the Schleswig-Holstein State Cup seven times – in 2025, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2015, and 2012. The most recent victory dates back to May 24, 2025, when Lübeck beat Kaltenkirchen 2-1 in the final, thus securing their place in the DFB-Pokal again.
The northern German club’s most successful DFB-Pokal season, however, dates back some time: In the 2003/04 season – then still a second-division side – VfB marched all the way to the semifinals. There, the dream of reaching the final in Berlin ended in extra time with a 3-2 defeat against Werder Bremen, the eventual cup winners.
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. 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 Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
