U21 makes the Bölle shake | „We’re on the right track“

What an evening at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor! The German national U21 team fired up their spirits for the upcoming U21 European Championship in June against Spain, earning a deserved 3-1 victory. The match was a highly successful test match in every respect before the upcoming European Championship in Slovakia. Striker Nick Woltemade, in particular, had the sold-out Böllen stadium going wild with his hat trick. The Böllenfalltor, with its special atmosphere, also gave the German team a boost. A remarkable Mexican wave, which swept through the Merck Stadium several times in the second half, and Woltemade, who sealed the 3-1 victory in the 79th minute, perfectly rounded off the first international match in the newly rebuilt Böllenfalltor.

During the international break, Sergio Lopez had the opportunity to spend time with his family to clear his head. Together with his wife and dog, the Spanish right-back enjoyed the peace and quiet away from the football field and recharged his batteries for the challenges ahead. The next match is against SSV Ulm – a demanding task, but Lopez is confident. „It will be a difficult game, but the mood in the team is very good,“ he emphasised during a media briefing on Tuesday (March 25). He further added: „We’re on the right track.“

For Lopez himself, it’s important to be able to get plenty of minutes this season. „It was crucial that I was able to play regularly again after my injury to improve my game,“ he explained. At the end of the media briefing, Lopez emphasised the progress he has made under coach Florian Kohfeldt: „I’m learning a lot from the coach, especially in defensive work. The discussions with him are helping me develop my game a lot.“

German professional football is sending a clear message for diversity, respect, and social cohesion around the upcoming Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matchdays. The joint message of the professional clubs, the DFL, and the DFL Foundation is „TOGETHER! STOP HATE. BE A TEAM“ and will be disseminated in the stadiums and on digital channels. The campaign period coincides with the International Weeks Against Racism (March 11-24).

During matchday, ball markers, match balls, and substitution boards bearing this special message will be in use. Furthermore, the campaign weeks will be supported by digital campaigns to raise awareness against prejudice and discrimination. The focus here is on various dimensions of discrimination (age, ethnic origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.). An overview of the initiatives and projects can be found here.

In addition, a special match day will take place in the Hessenliga next weekend (March 28-30). The Darmstadt U21 match, as well as all other matches, will be held under the motto „Action Match Day of the Shoelace Campaign Against Antisemitism,“ during which orange shoelaces will be worn.

The Lilies‘ U21 team had a free weekend last weekend, allowing them to take a well-deserved break to optimally prepare for the upcoming top match. On Saturday, March 29, 2025, coach Daniel Petrowsky’s team is looking forward to what they hope will be an exciting top-of-the-table clash in the Hessenliga: Third-placed Darmstadt (47 points) will face second-placed RW Walldorf (51 points) at home in Alsbach. Kickoff is at 3:30pm. Please come along on Saturday and support the young Lilies!

On Saturday (March 22), the SV Darmstadt 98 B-Juniors suffered a decisive 5-0 defeat against SSV Ulm 1846. Unfortunately, from the U17s‘ perspective, the game was decided by four goals conceded in the first half. The defeat saw the team slip to sixth place in the DFB-Nachwuchsliga (German Youth League).

The next competitive match is scheduled for next Saturday (March 29), when the young Lilies visit FC 08 Villingen. At 3pm, the team will do everything in its power to bounce back with a strong performance and secure some important points.

The A-Juniors, meanwhile, celebrated an important 2-0 win against SG Bornheim/GW Ffm on Thursday (March 20). The first half was a slow affair, with both teams largely neutralising each other. But the U19s showed their strength in the second half: They scored the 1-0 in the 48th minute, and after 70 minutes, they followed with a deserved 2-0, securing the victory. With this win, the A-Juniors consolidated their fourth place in the DFB-Nachwuchsliga B (German Youth League B) and can now enter their next matches with a positive record.

The next opponent is already waiting: On Sunday (March 30th), they face SV Gonsenheim at 11am.

The SV Darmstadt 98 fan team celebrated an impressive 7-0 home victory against SV Weiterstadt II this weekend (March 23). The Lilies were already leading 4-0 at halftime, largely having the game decided by that point. But they simply couldn’t get enough and kept their foot on the gas. In the second half, Darmstadt added three more goals to the scoresheet, securing a decisive 7-0 final score.

With this convincing victory, the „second second team“ remains in third place in the Kreisliga C and has reduced its gap to second place, currently occupied by SKG Roßdorf II, to just three points.

You can find an overview of the upcoming matches of the Lilien fan team here:

Our new winter signing, Meldin Dreskovic, celebrates his 27th birthday on Wednesday (March 26). Born in Montenegro, he began his career at his hometown club, Jezero Plav, based in the small town of Plav. After Montenegrin stops at Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje, FK Podgorica, and Sutjeska Niksic, Dreskovic landed at Hungarian club Debreceni VSC in 2023. He has been under contract with SV 98 since this winter and has made two appearances so far. Here’s to many more appearances with the Lilies. We wish you a happy birthday, Meldin!