Foto: SV 98 21.01.2025 / English
SV 98 sign Boëtius
The Lilies have signed attacking midfielder Jean-Paul Boëtius. The Dutchman, who will wear number 10 in Darmstadt, signed a contract with SV 98 on Tuesday (January 21st) after passing his medical check.
Paul Fernie: „Jean-Paul Boëtius is an experienced and versatile player who will increase our options in midfield. He not only brings dynamism and creativity, but above all a great fighting heart. This has also been his personal struggle in recent times Jean-Paul has worked hard to be able to be back on the field. He will still need some time, but he will also receive the patience and support from us on this journey convinced that he will prove his qualities for us.“
Jean-Paul Boëtius: „I am grateful for the opportunity at the Lilies and am really looking forward to this club. The conversations with those responsible were sensational and confirmed my opinion that Darmstadt 98 is the right step for me. I want to get to that level as quickly as possible so I can help the team.“
The 30-year-old was trained at the Feyenoord Rotterdam academy and made the jump to the professionals there. He then played for KRC Genk and FC Basel. Boëtius also played matches in the Europa League with both clubs. In 2017, the Rotterdam native returned to Feyenoord. For the traditional Dutch club he played a total of 109 games in the Eredivisie (24 goals, 22 assists), and Boëtius also made appearances for Rotterdam in the Champions League and European League. From 2018 he was under contract with German clubs: initially with 1. FSV Mainz 05 for four years, and also with Hertha BSC in the 2022/23 season. He played a total of 143 Bundesliga games for both clubs (12 goals, 22 assists).
In September 2022, Boëtius was diagnosed with a tumor in his testicle during a urological examination, which had to be surgically removed. In March 2024, he announced that he would have to undergo cancer treatment again. Boëtius has been without a club for the past year and a half, but recently trained with Feyenoord’s U21 team.