When Florian Kohfeldt arrived in Darmstadt on Sunday morning, a small marathon began. Combined with a wave of new impressions. The Merck Stadium including the adjacent functional building, training pitches and rooms. The 41-year-old got to know his workplace quickly, gave his first interview and had numerous conversations with the members of the staff. On Monday there were discussions with players, the first official press conference and, in particular, the premiere training session with the team. Start-up time? Doesn't exist. The time until the first game against Braunschweig is too short for that. So it's important to use every single minute. And Kohfeldt does this in an impressive way.
I hope that on Saturday we can see the basics of what this team is supposed to stand for
„I hope that on Saturday we will see the basics of what this team should stand for,“ explained the new head coach with a view to the upcoming encounter and, when asked, also clarified his game idea in succinct sentences: „Target-oriented, dominant possession football. Look for high tempo actions and with the aim of getting the ball back as quickly as possible.“
The first impression: Kohfeldt has precise ideas and concrete approaches to how he would like to implement them. “It quickly became clear to me that Florian is very structured and has a lot of clarity,” said Paul Fernie, who gave insights into the discussions with the trainer on Monday. He knew that with his style of play, Kohfeldt “could basically fit in in Darmstadt.” The sports director then gained his final conviction in a personal exchange: “Florian impressed me.”
With all the Lilies these days you can feel that you are only looking forward. Kohfeldt has also completely internalised this. “From now on it doesn’t matter what happened yesterday or five years ago. From now on, what counts is what we bring to the pitch with the team on Saturday.”
They are words that were followed by actions on Monday afternoon. Kohfeldt coached his first session with the team loudly and very communicatively, repeatedly taking players aside and talking explicitly about details. “Little things” was a phrase that the Siegen native used increasingly. Body position, running routes, pass sharpness. Kohfeldt and his team want to convey their game idea without neglecting any topics just to save time.
How important the minutes on the pitch are to the new coach became very clear in the first session. The Lilies had already trained for almost 70 minutes when a violent thunderstorm with thunder and lightning caused Kohfeldt to send the team to the annex building for safety reasons. An early end to the session? Not at all. Almost 15 minutes later, SV 98 returned to the pitch and the remaining 20 minutes of the original program were still completed. This also reinforced the impression: Kohfeldt does not allow resistance to disrupt his structure.
The coach himself had perceived “a great desire to win” in the first conversations, felt “no desperation at all” and also experienced the Lilies as a “familial, harmonious but at the same time very professional club”.
First impressions are important. He fits. For everyone who is now experiencing Kohfeldt at work for the first time. And vice versa also for the head coach himself, who sees his initial feeling confirmed that he could harmonise well with Darmstadt 98. But one thing is also clear: the first positive impressions help, but they don’t get you any points. These will be awarded on Saturday in the home game against Eintracht Braunschweig. A win would be the best solution to leave a lasting impression.
After 13 unbeaten second-division matches, SV Darmstadt 98 suffered their first defeat this Friday evening. Three unfortunate minutes just before halftime, during which Patric Pfeiffer was sent off and Vincent Vermeij scored twice, paved the way for Dresden's victory. After the match, the focus was primarily on the differing assessments of two very similar incidents by the refereeing team – incidents which both coaches subsequently evaluated identically.
For the first time since October, Darmstadt 98 finished a league match without any points: SV 98 lost 3-1 (2-0) to SG Dynamo Dresden. After a controversial red card against Patric Pfeiffer (42nd minute), the home side scored two goals in first-half stoppage time to secure the victory.
Under the floodlights at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadium. On Friday evening (February 27th/6:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will play away against Dynamo Dresden. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven. Raoul Petretta makes his first start, replacing Fabian Holland. Luca Marseiler starts in place of the suspended Marco Richter, and Hiroki Akiyama replaces Fraser Hornby, who is sidelined with a thigh injury. Fabian Nürnberger, Matthias Bader, and Bartosz Bialek remain unavailable due to injury.
A floodlit match at the Rudolf-Haribig-Stadion is always something special. Darmstadt 98 are aiming to take three points back to southern Hesse this Friday evening (February 27th). Kick-off is at 6:30pm. All the important information about the 24th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is clearly summarised for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.