Gold Cup 2025! And a Lily is there. Jean-Paul Boëtius will be participating in the continental championship for North, Central America, and the Caribbean with Suriname—the birthplace of his parents. We spoke with him before the first group match against Costa Rica (June 16th, 5am German time) about this very match, the tournament, and a football-mad Suriname.
sv98.de: Djanga, you made your debut for Suriname against El Salvador. Can you briefly explain how you came to play for the Suriname national team?
Jean-Paul Boëtius: My parents were born and raised in Suriname. Later, they moved to the Netherlands, where I was born and raised. Accordingly, I played for the Netherlands as a youth player and later even played a game for the senior national team. Of course, it was my dream back then to play more games for the Netherlands. But that’s how it is sometimes in life… In 2018, I spoke to the Surinamese FA for the first time, but I wasn’t 100 percent sure about it at the time. Now – six or seven years later – I could say „yes“ with complete conviction. I’m very proud to now play for the Suriname national team.
How did the first international match feel?
Suriname’s first international match was very, very nice. The atmosphere in the stadium was completely different from a league match in Germany, but it was still great. Thanks again to the fans. For me personally, it was my first competitive match in weeks, as I unfortunately missed the last two matches against Darmstadt due to injury. But I feel good again, I’m fit, and I gave everything for my country – and I think I also played a good game in the defensive midfield position (smiles). With the 1-1 draw against El Salvador, we’re still top of our World Cup qualifying group, which was important.
Is Suriname a football-mad country? Have you received a lot of messages and reactions?
Suriname is a very football-mad country. The country doesn’t have many inhabitants, only around 600,000. But Suriname is very proud, as you could see at our home games. Of course, I received reactions and messages. But it hasn’t reached the same proportions as, for example, in Indonesia, where you suddenly have a million new followers (laughs).
Now the Gold Cup awaits you, essentially the European Championship for North, Central America, and the Caribbean. How excited are you and the team?
We’re really looking forward to the Gold Cup. Suriname hasn’t participated in this tournament that often. Accordingly, we and the entire country are very proud to be participating in the Gold Cup. We hope we make it through the group stage well.
You’re playing in San Diego and then two games in the massive AT&T Stadium, usually home to the Dallas Cowboys. It should be something special.
The stadium in Dallas is huge, that’s true. I know it from the NFL. When we play against Mexico there, you can expect the stadium to be sold out. I’m looking forward to it. Of course, I’ve played in big stadiums before, but this will certainly be a different story.
Your opponents in the preliminary round are Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Sounds like a tough group. How do you see your opponents and how do you rate your chances?
We’re in a difficult group, where Mexico is obviously the favourite. Costa Rica is also a strong opponent, and the Dominican Republic shouldn’t be underestimated either. Both Costa Rica and we are a good team with good players. We’ll face them in our first game, which will be a very important one. I think the match with Costa Rica, in particular, will be very decisive for the rest of the group stage.
Thanks for the interview, Djanga. We wish you much success at the Gold Cup!
From the warm opening ceremony to the awards ceremony: The German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt offered exciting games, many wonderful encounters and a well-deserved German champion in the Hesse selection, which also included players from the SV 98 ID team.
The first dates for SV 98's preparations for the 2026/27 second division season have been set: On June 25th, the professional team will return to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor to undergo various medical tests and performance diagnostics. The first team training session will take place on June 27th in the Odenwald region.
Who will SV Darmstadt 98 face in the first round of the DFB Cup? This question will be answered this coming Saturday (June 6th). The draw for the first round will be broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau. We'll be taking a look and providing you with all the information. We'll also be celebrating with the fan team's survival in the Kreisklasse B (eighth tier) and taking a look across the border to Texas in the USA. All this and more for you in "Lilies Across the Board" on Wednesday.
Fraser Hornby's time at Darmstadt 98 comes to an end after three years. The Scottish attacking midfielder is moving to VfL Wolfsburg. Both clubs have agreed to keep the transfer fee confidential.
An eight-goal thriller to close out the season. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team took to the pitch one last time this season on Saturday (May 30th) – away against FC Eddersheim. The young Lilies secured a 5-3 victory in Eddersheim, finishing the 2025/26 Hessenliga season in eleventh place. Even more remarkable, however, was the U21's run at the end of the season: the Blue and Whites won their last five matches, scoring an impressive 22 goals in the process.
Barcelona, Spain. A global city right on the Mediterranean. Over 1.7 million people live here. And one of them is Clemens Riedel. The 22-year-old former Darmstadt player moved from SV 98 to Espanyol Barcelona last summer – from youth academy to professional in the Spanish first division. We spoke with Riedel about his first year in Barcelona, the past season, and his still close ties to Darmstadt.
SV 98 can continue to rely on the services of Fabian Nürnberger. The Lilies have extended the expiring contract with the Bulgarian international.
Grayson Dettoni will continue to wear the SV 98 jersey. The Lilies have exercised their option to buy the defender, who was previously on loan from FC Bayern Munich.
The German Football Championship for People with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) kicks off on Sunday – and it's taking place in Darmstadt's Bürgerpark! Last week, the Darmstadt 98ers' home ground offered a different kind of sporting event: a karate demonstration. We also take a look at the opponents for the new season and celebrate two birthdays this week. You'll find all this and much more about Darmstadt 98 in our usual "Lilies Across the Board".
„I’m proud of you,“ were the words of U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt to the team after they secured their place in the Hessenliga. On Saturday (May 23rd), SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team had the chance to stay in the league against Turabdin Babylon Pohlheim – and they seized it impressively! The young Lilies delivered a convincing 5-1 goal fest, but at the same time still needed help from other teams to guarantee their survival. However, because their direct rivals, CSC 03 Kassel, narrowly lost in Stadtallendorf, the U21 team was finally able to celebrate.
For the fourth time, the Haftpflichtkasse insurance company and SV Darmstadt 98 have jointly awarded four clubs with the Volunteer Award. The award ceremony, including the presentation of the checks, took place last Sunday (May 17th) before the home game against SC Paderborn at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. The Volunteer Award, established in 2023 by the Haftpflichtkasse and SV Darmstadt 98, aims to strengthen volunteer engagement and promote outstanding projects.
