Ahead of the floodlit match against Kaiserslautern (February 7th, 8:30pm), Florian Kohfeldt discusses the quality of the opponent, the unique aspects of the game, and the current squad situation. We've summarised the key points from today's (Friday, February 6th) press conference for you here.
Personnel update: Matthias Bader and Bartosz Bialek remain unavailable. All other players are fit to play.
Basically, I like having a floodlit match at the Bölle at 8:30pm. It’s something special. It’s one of the most unique kick-off times in German football because no other match is being played at the same time. We’re really looking forward to it. The stadium is sold out for both home and away fans, and there’s a lot of emotion involved. The late defeat against Kaiserslautern in the first leg hurt. But looking back, it was perhaps one of the most important matches for us because we learned our lessons from it.
They show different faces when defending: sometimes they play very high and man-marking, sometimes they defend deep. Offensively, they try to get into the final third quickly and then deliberately exploit the individual quality of their players. Accordingly, the analysis doesn’t provide a clear picture. Their game is heavily reliant on one-on-one situations – which makes them extremely dangerous. That’s one of their keys to winning games, because they also possess this individual quality. I also see a Kaiserslautern team that has made a strong start to the second half of the season. They beat Hannover and should have won at Schalke. That underlines their quality. I’m also delighted to welcome Torsten here at the Bölle. There are many emotionally charged issues surrounding this match. Overall, I expect a very strong team. The signings of Rasmussen and Berisha, coupled with the summer transfers, have clearly emphasised 1. FC Kaiserslautern’s ambitions once again. The last two matches against them were away games, but we lost them. We have a lot of respect for what’s coming up. But thankfully, we’re playing at home tomorrow.
We recently played against Bochum, the most in-form team in the league, then against a very strong Nürnberg side, and also had an away game in Berlin. Our individual performance in the first half hour in Berlin wasn’t good. Nevertheless, I have great respect for the team for getting five points from these games. We’ve had a lot going on in recent weeks, with illnesses and injuries. That makes it all the more important that we’ve now had our first training week since mid-December that I can truly call a top-notch one. That’s exactly what we need. It might sound unusual, being unbeaten in ten games, but we haven’t really found our rhythm yet. We want to work on that now.
That’s what distinguishes us as a team, and for that, a huge compliment to the entire squad. We’re able to bounce back time and again, and that’s a great quality. Last season, we already emphasised the need for development. A football team isn’t just about tactics; it’s also about energy, robustness, and resilience. You can’t command that; it has to develop. We’ve tried to create the conditions that allow exactly that to happen. A functioning locker room, energy, and a shared spirit are more important to me than purely tactical aspects. I feel we have that right now, and that’s a very good feeling.
It was surprising that Niklas Schmidt was able to play the full 72 minutes. Anything is possible for him this weekend. Grayson is making a very good impression. He knows exactly what his role is here and that it’s also about his development. He had two good training sessions, is well-liked in the locker room, and is very hard-working. Raoul had to travel to Basel for personal reasons and therefore missed two sessions last weekend. We might give him another targeted training session to make him an option for the Düsseldorf game. That’s perfectly normal after a longer break. However, the signs he’s showing give me the feeling that he can be an immediate reinforcement.
We discovered something during Killian Corredor’s diagnosis two weeks ago – a huge compliment to our doctors, who also included Killian in their extended network of specialists. He’s been in rehabilitation training since last week and trained with the team again yesterday and the day before. This makes him a candidate for the squad on Saturday. I’m very pleased about this and hope that he’ll now be available to us regularly.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
They fought to the very end, playing with ten men, and tried everything. But in the end, Darmstadt had to settle for a 3-3 draw against SV Elversberg in the sold-out Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. How do the Darmstadt players and staff assess the passionate 90 minutes at the Bölle? What did both head coaches have to say about the match? We've compiled all the reactions for you.
No winner in the clash of the pursuers: Darmstadt 98's home game against SV Elversberg ended in a 3-3 (2-3) draw. After three consecutive defeats, SV 98 managed to secure at least a point and now has 51 points this season. Pfeiffer (14th minute) and Hornby (15th and 51st minutes) scored for the team from southern Hesse.
It's home game day at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. On Saturday evening, the 31st matchday of the 2. Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg. Head coach Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting eleven compared to last week. Raoul Petretta replaces Fabian Nürnberger (thigh injury). Yosuke Furukawa also starts in place of Killian Corredor against the team from Saarland.
A new match under the floodlights awaits! On Saturday evening (April 25th, 8:30pm), Darmstadt 98 play against SV Elversberg. What are the coaches' opinions before the game? Who will referee, broadcast, and commentate the match? And what kind of weather can Darmstadt fans expect at the stadium? All the information is compiled for you in "Matchday Guide."
What are Florian Kohfeldt's thoughts on Saturday evening's match (April 25th/8:30pm) against SV Elversberg? Where does he see the strengths of their upcoming opponent? And how does his team plan to get back on track after three consecutive defeats? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday (April 24th) in the catacombs of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. We've summarised Kohfeldt's key statements from the press conference for you.
On Saturday evening (April 26th/8:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will host the team from SV 07 Elversberg and asks you to take note of the following information.
In the world of football, a yo-yo team is a team that oscillates between two leagues – too good for one league, but not quite at the level of the next higher one. The result is usually many promotions and many relegations. But SV Elversberg is currently redefining the term. For several years now, the yo-yo has been taking SVE almost exclusively upwards.
Saturday evening at the Böllenfalltor, the seventh edition! This time, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg at the Merck Stadium. Both teams are strong offensively and convincing defensively. But where do the differences lie? And in which statistics do both the team from southern Hesse and the Saarlanders lead the pack? We've compiled all the facts and figures for this match right here for you.
The news that Fabian Holland will no longer play for Darmstadt at the end of this season affected everyone at the club. We take a look at it. Also exciting this week: The U17s host Eintracht Frankfurt's youth team in Pfungstadt today, Wednesday (April 22nd/5pm) for the Hessian derby in the Hesse Cup; the Darmstadt first team will wear members' jerseys against SV Elversberg next Saturday (April 25th/8:30pm); and the Darmstadt VIP box has been temporarily converted into a yoga camp. "Darmstadt Across the Board" on Wednesday is available here.
The end of an era. Fabian Holland's twelfth season in the Lilies' jersey will be his last with SV 98. The 35-year-old's contract, which expires at the end of the season, will not be renewed. The club informed Holland of this decision in a confidential meeting. Both club and player agree to focus entirely on achieving the best possible end to the season until the final match and that any plans for a farewell celebration will depend on how the rest of the season unfolds.