How does Florian Kohfeldt assess the current situation at SV Darmstadt 98? How does he look back on his first six months as Lilien head coach? And what are his assessments before the duel on Saturday afternoon (February 15/1pm) with Eintracht Braunschweig. Kohfeldt provided the answers at the press conference on Thursday (February 13th). We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Holland, Matthias Bader, Paul Will, Christoph Zimmermann, Kai Klefisch, Sergio Lopez and Fraser Hornby are out. There are also doubts for Oscar Vilhelmsson (knee problems) and Philipp Förster (ill). Fabian Nürnberger is missing due to a red card. There is still a question mark behind whether Matej Maglica will play.
I don’t know exactly how many men will be on the bus on Friday. But everyone who will be there can be sure that there is a coach sitting at the front right of the bus who is happy that he is traveling to Braunschweig with exactly those boys. With one goal: to win in Braunschweig.
Braunschweig is in a good phase and has come out of the winter break very well. They picked up a total of five points against tough opponents in the new year. Eintracht has done a lot on the winter transfer market. And all the new players were in the starting line-up against Karlsruhe. Especially when they take the lead, they are very uncomfortable with their strong central defense in the back three. They then become very dangerous via switching actions because they have a lot of speed. In terms of quality, they have a strong and experienced squad. Even though they usually become dangerous through set pieces and transition moments, they still have a very active approach. Overall, Braunschweig is an unpleasant opponent.
We are in a difficult and negative phase in terms of results. But we have a few pounds in hand to overcome this phase with all its adversities. This is primarily our offensive and defensive structure on the pitch. This does not always mean that we make the right decisions at the right moment. Nevertheless, we are well organised and structured in every game. You hear that from my coaching colleagues in every opposing press conference. We have a clear and shared idea of what we want. Another factor is our very good team spirit and our great will to get this done together.
Overall, I perceive us to be very united; when it comes to sporting leadership, we are level-headed and very vigilant. We know about our situation and its framework conditions. We have 25 points, so we won’t go into a final against Eintracht Braunschweig. We look to the future in a solution-oriented manner. There is no question that we still need points and results. Despite all the failures, we have the individual quality that allows us to bring our strengths onto the pitch, which make us difficult to defend. As a team, we have developed a will that makes us absolutely willing to push ourselves to the limit. These are good conditions for winning games. Whether this happens will be decided in small moments. And we have to do a lot to ensure that these little moments come.
Everyone has the approach to find solutions for themselves. The task is to synchronise this so that everyone wants to find the same solutions. I think we did a good job during the week. In stressful situations – especially when the result is negative – everyone with absolutely good will wants to try to force it. Basically, there is 0.0 tendency for anyone to slip away. I have never experienced such a harmonious – perhaps even sometimes too harmonious – cabin that holds together so much. But in the small moments we miss the very last feeling of what the other person is doing. This is certainly due to the different compositions of the team in the last few weeks. Of course, the automatisms in the combinations in different positions change if you haven’t played together that often. But we had a week of training in which we worked a lot on teamwork.
When we sat here before the home game against Braunschweig almost six months ago, our goals for the surrounding area were almost too optimistic. We said that we wanted to stabilise and have a stable season. But the mood was more along the lines of: “Wow, make sure you somehow stay in the league.” The expectations of us then developed dramatically, which we ourselves were happy to stir up based on our results. No team liked playing against us in November and December. We performed as a team in such a way that it was almost impossible to get a hold of us offensively. We also showed a high level of aggression against the ball. As a result, the expectations for our game and our results have become very high. But that shouldn’t cloud our view of where we come from and what our overall goal is. The current phase has many challenges in store for us. But it is also a phase that is very instructive. If we want to deliver experiences like we did in the first half of the season, we have to get close to 100 percent in all areas. We will overcome this phase because we act and fight against it. Maybe it’s also a phase that will be very important for the overall development – for the team, the coaching team and the environment. I’m really happy to be sitting here and watching all of this happen.
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:
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.