Plain talk from the captain | Legends team in Regensburg

For Marcel Schuhen, sugarcoating the defeat in Kaiserslautern is out of the question. But so too is publicly distancing himself from his teammates after the game. It is precisely in difficult times that the Darmstadt captain sees what it means to take responsibility within a team. In the media briefing on Tuesday (September 8th), our number one spoke about his responsibility as captain.

Until last weekend, however, he hadn’t had that feeling. That made the performance in Kaiserslautern all the more surprising. The 33-year-old leaves no doubt that the performance didn’t meet his own expectations.

Internally, a team needs to be honest with each other in such situations. Schuhen emphasises, however, that clear words don’t have to come exclusively from the captain. Other players are also called upon to take responsibility and address issues. For him, that’s precisely what a functioning group needs.

Outwardly, Schuhen adheres to a clear principle. „I will continue to stand up for the team,“ says the goalkeeper. This stance, for him, doesn’t contradict being clear internally. Criticism, analysis, and clear communication are just as much a part of team life for him as protecting his teammates.

Our veterans team will be traveling to Regensburg this coming Friday with almost 30 people. The trip was organised by their former teammate Nico Beigang, who now lives in the cathedral city and wants to share his new home. The trip kicks off on Friday with a guided tour of Regensburg. In the evening, the Lilies will gather in front of the television to cheer on our professional team in their match against Arminia Bielefeld.

On Saturday, September 12, 2026, they will be in action themselves: At 2pm, our veterans team will play against TSV Kareth-Lappersdorf. With more than 2,800 members and 18 departments, TSV is the largest sports club in the Regensburg district. Afterward, the group will head to the Regensburg Autumn Fair, where beer tents, rides, and Bavarian delicacies await them. After a shared breakfast on Sunday, the veterans team will finally begin their journey back home to Darmstadt.

The city of Darmstadt and SV Darmstadt 98 are jointly creating 180 new bicycle parking spaces on Nieder-Ramstädter Straße. This will give fans the opportunity to park their bicycles safely and in an organised manner during the game.

The draw for the second round of the DFB Cup has been made: SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to SV Elversberg. The draw took place at the German Football Museum on Saturday evening (September 5th) with Bastian Schweinsteiger acting as „drawmaster,“ and was broadcast live on ARD’s Sportschau program. The second round will be played on October 27th and 28th, 2026. The exact match times will be announced soon.

Just four days after their defeat against Türk Gücü Friedberg, the young Lilies already face their next match in the Hessenliga. On Wednesday (September 9th), Patrick Kurt’s team will host SV Rot-Weiss Walldorf, with kickoff at 7pm. With twelve points from seven games, SV 98 currently sits in eighth place in the table. However, the competition is tight: the Lilies are only two points away from third place.

Yannik Lührs celebrates his 23rd birthday on Wednesday (September 9th). He joined Darmstadt 98 from Hoffenheim this summer. He made his competitive debut for the Lilies on the third matchday and started in the first eleven for the first time on the fourth matchday. SV Darmstadt 98 extends its warmest congratulations and wishes him all the best, good health, and continued success in the coming year!

Birthday at the Bölle: On Friday (September 11th), Marvin Mehlem celebrates his 29th birthday – and at his former stomping ground, no less. The Karlsruhe native made a total of 191 appearances for Darmstadt 98 and played a key role in their promotion-winning season of 2022/23. Mehlem is now under contract with Arminia Bielefeld and returns to the Bölle on Friday as an opponent for the fifth matchday. We wish Marvin all the best for his birthday, especially good health and a successful year ahead.