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.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.