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.
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.
Lilies at the Wildpark! SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC this coming Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) for the 32nd matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Will Darmstadt's positive record from recent encounters continue? Will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg extend their scoring streak against KSC? And will Fabian Schleusener finally stop scoring against SV 98? We've compiled all the facts and figures for you.
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
At the end of the current season, the partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and Software AG, which has grown over many years, will end due to a strategic realignment of the software company.
The DFB sports court has suspended Patric Pfeiffer for one match following his sending-off against SV Elversberg.
Four goals, three points, and a well-deserved victory in the Hessenliga! At home against VfB 1905 Marburg last Saturday (April 25th), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally celebrated a win after a long wait. Thanks to their confidence, assertiveness in one-on-one situations, and numerous scoring opportunities, the U21s convincingly beat the Marburg team 4-0.
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.