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.
Torsten Lieberknecht has to change his starting lineup to four positions compared to the away win at 1. FC Köln. In addition to Aaron Seydel, Clemens Riedel and Klaus Gjasula, Matthias Bader is also out for the duel with 1. FC Heidenheim with a broken nose. Luca Pfeiffer, Christoph Zimmermann, Jannik Müller and Emir Karic move into the starting line-up to replace the injured quartet. Asaf Arania from the U19 is in the Lilies' competitive squad for the first time.
After the away win in Köln now comes our home game with Heidenheim. On Sunday evening (April 28th/7:30pm) the SVD finally wants to win again in front of their own crowd. It is clear that this will not be an easy task against 1. FC Heidenheim, but Torsten Lieberknecht's team still wants to give the lily fans their second win in a row. Before the Bölle gets down to business, we will provide you with all the information about the duel between the Lilies and the guests from Heidenheim.
Next Sunday (April 28th/7:30pm) SV Darmstadt 98 will face fellow promoted team 1. FC Heidenheim. After Torsten Lieberknecht's team finally celebrated another victory in the Rhineland last week, they should also be able to do it at home this week. With a win of their own and some help, the Heidenheimers could stay in the league three match days before the end. But before the Lilies meet Frank Schmidt and “his” Heidenheimers, you will find all the important facts about the game here. What gives hope for the second win in a row? What are the strengths of the people of Baden-Württemberg? And which lily became a professional in Heidenheim? You can find out in our top facts about the game.
About the success in Köln, the upcoming duel with 1. FC Heidenheim (April 28th/7:30pm) and the staff: Torsten Lieberknecht answered questions about these and other topics at the press conference on Friday (April 26th). We have put together the most important statements from the head coach for you.
On Sunday (April 28th/7:30pm) SV Darmstadt 98 welcomes 1. FC Heidenheim and asks you to pay attention to the following information.
Continuity in the Lilies' Youth Performance Centre: Björn Müller has extended his contract as sporting director of the youth performance center (NLZ) for the long term. The new contract is now valid until June 30, 2027. Müller has been working in this position since June 2022.
In February, SV 98 lodged an objection against a ruling by the DFB sports court due to the use of pyrotechnic material over 43,000 euros (away game in Stuttgart on September 22, 2023) for fundamental reasons. This objection was rejected at a hearing on April 5th. In addition, in another case, SV 98 was fined 2,000 euros for unauthorised entry onto the pitch by several people at the home game against Leipzig (October 21, 2023). The SV 98 had already communicated to the oral hearing that the implementation of a possible appeal procedure would be dependent on the written reasons for the judgment.
Together with our main and jersey partner HAIX, a special Lilien shoe was created with which you will cut a good figure both in the stadium and in everyday life. The shoe is now available exclusively at www.haix.de.
With over 13,000 season tickets, SV Darmstadt 98 enjoys a very high proportion of fans in the stadium who want to be there at the Bölle home game after home game to actively support the team. In order to be able to continue offering day tickets, the number of season tickets has been capped for many seasons. And yet we are pleased that new season ticket holders can be welcomed every summer. For the coming season, a change and waiting list is now available on the club's own homepage.
Off to Signal Iduna Park! On the 34th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 visits Borussia Dortmund. The away game at BVB will kick off on May 18th at 3:30pm. This is how you can be there: From Friday (April 26th/12pm) we will start selling free tickets exclusively in the ticket shop at the Merck Stadium. You can find all further information here.
Sunday evening. Floodlight game. Everything is set for a thrilling duel between the two Bundesliga newcomers in the Merck Stadium at the Böllenfalltor. With 1. FC Heidenheim, the Lilies face an opponent who has one constant above all: head coach Frank Schmidt. The 50-year-old led his team into solid midfield in the first Bundesliga season and beat the record champions from Munich three weeks ago. At the end of the 31st matchday (April 28th/7:30pm), the SVD still wants to keep the points in southern Hesse. We'll take a closer look at FCH before the home game.
