After 13 unbeaten second-division matches, SV Darmstadt 98 suffered their first defeat this Friday evening. Three unfortunate minutes just before halftime, during which Patric Pfeiffer was sent off and Vincent Vermeij scored twice, paved the way for Dresden's victory. After the match, the focus was primarily on the differing assessments of two very similar incidents by the refereeing team – incidents which both coaches subsequently evaluated identically.
„I love playing here at this wonderful venue. I have great respect for Dynamo: playing like this in a relegation battle isn’t common, it deserves recognition. Nevertheless, we put in a good away performance. We knew Dynamo would come out with a lot of energy. Despite that, we managed to gain control and had two great chances through Schmidt and Akiyama. Great respect also goes to my team for how we played as if it were a draw, even at 3-0 down. That shows the mentality of my team. I’m also happy for Furu that he scored his first goal. To address the elephant in the room: I never said anything to the referee during my time at Darmstadt, but this time I have to say it objectively: the referee decided the game today because he fundamentally misjudged two situations. In the first situation with Isac, which was a deliberate hold, no Dynamo player could intervene. With Paddy’s foul, two players were in close proximity. It is an absolute outrage that a red card is awarded in this situation.“
„A compliment to my team for the way we won the game. Even in the second half, when you can easily collapse after your own red card, we didn’t fall apart. We had a very good spell in terms of possession. Then we made it 3-0. We’re happy to take the three points. I assess both situations the same way as Flo and understand the frustration 100 percent. We often lack consistency, and that was the case again today.“
„We took the task very well until the sending-off. Keller’s action, where he pulled Isac, warrants a red card. Since the supposed red card against Paddy (Pfeiffer) wasn’t right in my opinion, it was a double wrong decision. Unfortunately, that decided the game. It’s a shame because Dresden plays incredible football; it’s so much fun to play here with this atmosphere. It’s bitter that the game is then influenced by such a decision.
We tried everything, but there are these games where you feel like nothing’s going right. Even with the third goal, when I made the save in a one-on-one and the ball then fell right to the Dresden player’s feet. Nevertheless, after it was 3-1, suddenly 30,000 people thought we could still turn the game around. We get to play eleven against eleven again next week, and then we’ll try everything again.“
„Losing never feels good. In the first half, we were the better team until the sending-off. We created three or four good chances in the first 40 minutes. Then the referee gave us a red card. I don’t think it was a red card, but I haven’t seen it on video yet. In the remaining five minutes before halftime, there was a lot of disarray, and that’s how we conceded two goals. Then it was difficult in the second half. But we’re a solid team and have a good mindset. We lost today, but it won’t knock us down. We’ll learn from it and shake it off.“
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.