On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
With new coach Sebastian Schmitt at the helm, the U21 team kicks off the second half of the season after the winter break, aiming to improve their league position. „We used the time to gain clarity on the various phases of the game,“ explains the 32-year-old, reflecting on the recent preseason. He emphasises the importance of players knowing precisely „how they should be positioned and what options they have in the respective areas.“ This allows each player’s individual quality to be showcased to its fullest potential. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21s open the season with a home match against fourth-placed Türk Gücü Friedberg. Friedberg has proven to be a strong team so far this season, making the home game a challenging task for the young Lilies.
Schmitt still sees potential for development primarily „in risk assessment when playing with the ball.“ For the defensive game, clear basic formations have been developed for the remainder of the season. Furthermore, intensive friendly matches provided the new coach with additional insights. For the second half of the season, one thing is paramount: collecting points. „We are satisfied with the past few weeks, but ultimately, the goal now is to collect as many points as quickly as possible, alongside developing the young talent,“ said Schmitt.
There were also some changes to the squad. Manolo Merx and Mark Meier were promoted from the U19 team and, according to Schmitt, „are playing a good role in the team.“ At the same time, the weekly schedule was made even more focused on match days, and communication within the youth academy was further intensified. „We feel the support throughout the entire academy,“ he emphasised.
The team is now looking forward to the start of the season after the winter break: „The test matches were good and showed us many things, but we are happy that it’s now about points.“ The objective for the remaining games is clearly defined: to introduce young players to the senior level at an early stage and at the same time collect the necessary points to establish a stable position in the league.
On Friday evening (February 27th), Darmstadt will try to secure a victory against Friedberg on their home turf. Kick-off is at 7:30pm on the artificial turf pitch at Kastanienallee 61 in 64289 Darmstadt.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.
SV Darmstadt 98 successfully completed their second pre-season friendly, defeating Verbandsliga side VfR Fehlheim 8-0 (4-0).
