A narrow defeat. On Sunday (March 15th/3pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team suffered a 1-0 away loss against SC 1960 Hanau. You can read the match report for the 23rd Hessenliga matchday here.
In the first half, Darmstadt’s U21 team appeared solid. „Above all, their stable defence allowed us to create good counter-attacking opportunities from a good basic formation,“ U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt told sv98.de. However, the young Lilies weren’t always able to capitalise on these opportunities and ultimately convert them into goals. When Darmstadt did get in front of the opposing goal, they lacked that crucial bit of luck. Furthermore, a strong Hanau goalkeeper also stood in the way of Darmstadt taking the lead.
Another hurdle was the pitch condition. The match was moved to a different pitch at short notice. Instead of playing in the stadium as planned, the game was played on the adjacent pitch. The hastily arranged change of venue to a pitch that was partly very sandy and woody forced Schmitt and his coaching staff to adapt their game plan. „It was difficult to exploit spaces as effectively as we would on our usual ground in Hanau,“ Schmitt complained.
In what felt like a 0-0 game, which became somewhat less exciting after halftime, a penalty kick in favour of SC 1960 Hanau would ultimately decide the match. Particularly frustrating was the fact that goalkeeper Benedikt Börner initially saved the penalty, but Hanau capitalised on the rebound, scoring the decisive goal of the day in the 73rd minute.
In the final stages, the young Lilies threw everything forward once more. With fresh legs and a boost from the sidelines, they aimed to equalise. Young players like Keanu Blasa and Esad Smailji, normally with the U19 team, bolstered the U21 squad this weekend with their substitutions. Overall, the U21 team fielded a very young squad for this Hessenliga match. The average age of the team was just 18.94 years.
However, a goal eluded the young U21 team on Sunday. „We lacked the cutting edge to capitalise on the crucial moments,“ Schmitt concluded.
„Our primary focus is on the early integration of young talent, but of course we’re now entering a phase of the season where we also need to achieve results. We’ll be preparing for the match against Waldgirmes with this approach in mind,“ Schmitt explained, looking ahead to next weekend. The SV 98 U21 team will host SC Waldgirmes. Kick-off is at 3pm on Saturday (March 21st). While the young Lilies currently sit in 14th place with 26 points, just one point behind a non-relegation spot, SC Waldgirmes is in 16th place in the Hessenliga table with 22 points.
Line-Up: Börner – Kunstmann, Karakayar (Görtler, 85′), Jaadar (Schnerring, 78′), Schlosser, Klappich (Smailji, 78′), Meier, Herbst (Blasa, 85′), Mignano (Kadrijaj, 70′), Merx, Pfister.
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.