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.
On Sunday, the Lilies face a challenge in Baden: for the 8th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 travel to take on Karlsruher SC. At the pre-match press conference, our head coach discussed the squad situation, the qualities of the opposition, and the team's motivation to get back to winning ways on the road.
On Sunday (October 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. KSC has a history that extends well beyond the confines of German football: the club from Baden once caused a stir on the European stage, writing a chapter that is still remembered today. But how did KSC manage to step into the international spotlight, and what made this success so special?
The next away match is coming up: this Sunday (October 18th, 1:30pm), the Lilien will visit Karlsruher SC for the 8th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. As always, you can find all the essential information regarding travel and your visit to the stadium in the fan guidelines.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
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: