International break: Over! The decisive weeks: in front of your chest! The Lilies start the remaining season next Easter Sunday (31.0./7.30pm) against VfL Bochum. How does Torsten Lieberknecht look forward to the next few weeks? What does he expect from a game in the Ruhrstadion? And how does he assess the opponent? The head coach of SV 98 answered these and other questions at the press conference on Thursday (March 28th). We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fraser Hornby, Fabian Nürnberger, Fabio Torsiello and Marvin Mehlem are out injured. Bartol Franjic is suspended. There is a big question mark behind Fabian Holland (adductors) and Luca Pfeiffer (illness). There is also a small question mark behind Klaus Gjasula (adductor problems). Matthias Bader and Clemens Riedel are back in team training and are both an option for the squad on Sunday.
We have made very good use of the last week and a half, especially to bring players back from long-term injuries and to train them. The boys worked extremely hard and gave everything they had to prepare for the final spurt of this season – both physically and mentally. We still have eight games left, but we want to play ten games. We need everyone for this. We played a reasonable 90-minute internal test match last Friday. During the current, longer training week, we worked the boys again. Starting today, we will analyse Bochum intensively and prepare specifically for the duel. Overall, we are approaching the next few weeks positively and optimistically.
We have our own agenda without looking at the other teams. In our situation we know we need points. We’ll see how the match day develops. We want to return from Bochum with points – ideally with three. That’s what we strive for. The stadium on Castroper Straße is one of the most atmospheric stadiums – especially under floodlights. The timing at 7:30pm is therefore very attractive. There is a lot at stake for both teams. Everyone wants to end their series and start a new one. It’s definitely going to be a heated game. But it’s fun to prepare because you know exactly what to expect.
What Bochum has achieved in recent years is also due to the audience, which always encourages and emotionally pushes the team in a heated atmosphere. VfL is characterized by a certain home strength. They play very man-oriented, with a lot of one-on-one duels. They want to stress the opponent with this. They also have a variability in their game: In addition to hitting long balls, they also look for football solutions in certain phases. They have an axis made up of key players like Stöger, Asano, Losilla and, above all, Riemann.
Nothing is expected of us anymore. The relegation apparently only revolves around two teams. We registered all of that. We’ll see… Normally you would be long gone. But it is part of the history of the Bundesliga this season that we can still play for relegation. The game in Bochum is a starting game in the crunch time of this season. We want to do this as well as possible. We are aiming for victory in Bochum. For this we need top performance, a lot of passion and tactical understanding.
Bochum has already been in the Bundesliga relegation battle for the last two years and therefore has a certain amount of experience. In the fight to stay in the league, we will need everything – not only a certain amount of experience but also youthful freshness. The fact is that it is an advantage for the Bochum team that they have been in these areas in the last two seasons and have managed to get out of there.
Oscar came back well from the national team, completed the first regenerative measures yesterday and will only train regeneratively today. We already saw in Leipzig and also against Bayern that he is getting into his rhythm, which is allowing him to build up self-confidence. The goals in the international matches showed that. He was able to gain a lot of self-confidence again.
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.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.