Childish joy or rather a sober look at the duel with the German record champions? Who is available for the Lilies for the game against FC Bayern Munich on Saturday (3/16/3:30 p.m.)? And what will it matter? Torsten Lieberknecht answered these and other questions at the pre-match press conference on Friday (March 15). We have typed down the most important statements from the Darmstadt head coach for you.
Marvin Mehlem, Matthias Bader, Fraser Hornby, Fabian Nürnberger and Clemens Riedel are out. Things are looking very good for Clemens. He has recovered well from his injury and is well ahead of schedule. The aim is for him to get back into team training soon. Matej Maglica had to sit out in Leipzig due to a calf problem, but returned to training this week. Braydon Manu has now trained with the team for the second week. Fabian Holland is also an option again.
Because of our situation, the childlike joy you get when playing against such an opponent is more muted for me. Nevertheless, it is a game that propelled us into this league. We wanted to be in this league because of teams like Bayern Munich. It’s a game that will present a huge challenge. That’s why I’m soberly looking forward to the game against Bayern. Of course it is something special to play against teams like Bayern Munich in the first division. But over the course of this season it has become somewhat normal to play against such opponents. Players shouldn’t be in awe. In the first leg we showed that we were brave in the first half.
It makes no sense to make big declarations of war. My boys are well prepared and know that they have to surpass themselves. I really liked our organisation and security in Leipzig. With the ball, the boys simply have to have more courage to get into better positional play. We’re hoping for the moments against Bayern where we want to have our chance. It is precisely in these moments that we have to show efficiency.
Both can take a lot from the game against Leipzig. Fabio is a boy from our own academy who has made his debut. After his short stints it was just his turn. He did a particularly good job defensively in conjunction with Oscar and was able to close a lot of spaces. On offense you could see that he still needs to pick up and work on things like physicality and assessing situations. Andi received a yellow card early on and was then limited against the Leipzig players. But for him, the starting eleven was a next step – a new, mental situation. When he starts again, he will be able to play the next game with more calm and experience. In Magdeburg he often played as a starting eleven, but in the first division it’s something different.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.