The first home game in 2025 is on the program! However, before the ball rolls between SV Darmstadt 98 and SC Paderborn on Sunday afternoon (January 26th/1:30pm), the press conference with Florian Kohfeldt took place on Friday (January 24th). In this, the Lilien head coach answered questions about the upcoming game, his own approach and the current sporting situation of SV 98. We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel Update: Paul Will, Matthias Bader, Christoph Zimmermann, Isac Lidberg and Fabian Holland are out. In addition, Othmane El Idrissi and Tobias Kempe with knee problems are also unavailable.
It will be a very exciting game because Paderborn is a team that has an exciting footballing approach. They are very strong in positional play with the ball. They have different variations in how they want to occupy the spaces. So just taking the ball away from them will be a challenge. They actually react more from space against the ball and direct the opponent to one side. But I don’t want to commit myself, Lukas comes up with a special plan every now and then (grins). They also have exciting new additions, with whom they have further increased the quality of the squad. Tactically it will definitely be a very exciting game. On the other hand, I don’t know whether it will be a lively game with a lot of back and forth. That depends on if and when the goals are scored and how quickly the game becomes open. Preparing for the game was one of the things I enjoyed the most because we can expect a high tactical level on Sunday.
Our idea and our aim is to completely understand how the respective opponent wants to play football. But we always want to push through our game – with its different facets. And on one game day you need one more facet and then another. We prepare the team for that. I don’t see us deviating completely from our plan. It’s about finding the moments in the game in the opponent’s basic orientation so that we can use them offensively and defensively. Basically, we want to play dominant, targeted and structured possession football against Paderborn in search of fast-paced actions. The question is how to organise it. This varies from game to game.
A first game like this after the break is always something special, especially at home. We want to continue on the path we have taken at home in the last few weeks and months. From the outside, people don’t know exactly what to do with us. We are currently neither in a direct relegation battle nor in a direct promotion race. This allows us to concentrate even more on our performance, which we want to make more consistent. Everyone would have signed our current situation with a kiss at the beginning of October.
As a club of our size, you have to recognise situations in which there are opportunities that normally wouldn’t have been there. For years, Jean-Paul has performed at a level that would probably never have been conceivable even for a first division team, Darmstadt 98. Through Paul Fernie and I’s personal network, we got the hint that he wanted to prove himself and was ready to return to professional football. He has a lot of sympathy for our game idea. League membership and one or two financial issues are not that relevant for him at the moment. We then had very good conversations. He is able to play all central positions in midfield. And we all see it as a very big opportunity. We want to help him get back to his level. If we can do that, we will have an outstanding player for Darmstadt 98. When it comes to the answer to the question of when it will be fully available to us, I don’t want to commit myself.
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.