The two clubs SV Darmstadt 98 and San Antonio FC from Darmstadt’s US sister city of San Antonio will work more closely together in the future. This is the aim of a cooperation agreement signed on Tuesday (July 23rd) between the Lilies and Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E), the operating company of San Antonio FC, was closed. The cooperation was expressly welcomed by Darmstadt’s Mayor Hanno Benz and San Antonio’s Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who were also on site on Tuesday, and supported by signing a “Letter of Support”.
The aim of the cooperation between the two clubs is to promote young players, an intensive intercultural and knowledge exchange in the areas of sports science, sports medicine and training science as well as marketing, sales, media and innovation. The signing follows successful discussions between the two sides.
Martin Kowalewski, Managing Director of Marketing & Sales at SV 98: “We are looking forward to a successful and fruitful collaboration that enriches cultural understanding and expands our know-how.” He adds: “We are convinced that cooperation and synergies with reliable “Our partners are part of our progress and further development, and that all sides will benefit from the mutual support in the youth sector and the mutual exchange of knowledge.”
“We are honoured to work with SV Darmstadt on this project,” said Bobby Perez, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of SS&E: “The opportunity for San Antonio FC to work with this historic, values-driven club is special, and we are grateful for Darmstadt as a new strategic partner.”
“The newly concluded cooperation agreement opens up promising opportunities to use the integrative power of sport to bring people from all walks of life together,” explain Mayor Benz and Mayor Nirenberg. “We therefore strongly support this cooperation agreement and see it as a further important step towards strengthening our city partnership.” Mayor Benz adds: “The visit also opens up the opportunity to strengthen the municipal partnership in view of current crises and the presidential election in the USA and to expand the sports clubs project into this important area.”
From June 26th to July 2nd, a delegation from SV Darmstadt 98 visited the US state of Texas and the city of San Antonio there. In addition to meetings with officials from the local soccer club San Antonio FC and the SS&E, the program also included visits to the city of San Antonio and the Southwest Research Institute.
From July 20th to 23rd, 2024, a delegation from San Antonio visited the science city of Darmstadt. In addition to taking part in the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding”, Mayor Ron Nirenberg met with Mayor Hanno Benz for an exchange and took part in a panel discussion on the topic of “Transatlantic Relations” at the TU Darmstadt.
Since 2017, Darmstadt and San Antonio have maintained a close partnership that includes lively exchange on political, cultural, university and social levels as well as in the areas of youth work and sports. This partnership is based on the conviction that intensive exchange and personal encounters at all levels represent added value for both urban societies.
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.
Tickets for the league match in Nürnberg (Nov. 7th) and the cup match in Elversberg (Oct. 27th) are available for purchase now.
For the upcoming home match on Saturday (October 10th, 2026, at 1pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information. Since the start of the season, we have been offering dedicated entrances for women at the west side of the stadium. Additionally, there is a "Bölle Bande" family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance. Please also take note of the information provided by HEAG regarding the autumn break.