28.01.2025 / English,USA
US cooperation: Lilies at the NBA in Paris
A delegation from SV 98 at an NBA game in Paris? What initially seemed a little unrealistic became reality on January 23rd. The background to the visit is relatively easy to explain: Since July 2024, there has been a cooperation agreement between the Lilies, the football club San Antonio FC (SAFC) and Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E). SS&E is the operating company of the US second division team SAFC and the NBA team and five-time champions San Antonio Spurs.
At the invitation of the SS&E, Vice President Markus Pfitzner, sports director Paul Fernie and the two managing directors Martin Kowalewski (Marketing & Sales) and Tom Eilers (licensed player area) traveled to the French capital to exchange ideas with representatives of SAFC, the SS&E and the San Antonio Spurs and in the evening to attend the Spurs game against the Indiana Pacers. The game was part of the “NBA Global Games”, which since 1990 has ensured that one or two NBA season games are played outside of America almost every year in order to enable people on other continents to play live games from the best basketball league in the world.
Around 12 hours before tip-off of the game, the Lilien delegation went from Frankfurt to Paris, where there were a few appointments on the agenda before the game started. “The trip is another chance to strengthen our relationships within the joint cooperation. We’re looking forward to it,” Fernie explained before the trip began.
When we arrived in the city of love, we first went to the “NBA House”. Set up especially for the period of the two NBA games in Paris, the location offered the opportunity to learn a lot about the glorious history of the Spurs, test your own basketball skills at various stations or stock up on merchandising. The visit was also used for a short exchange with Jose Lizardo from SAFC.
Lizardo himself had visited the Lilies in Darmstadt the previous days and got an overview of the work of the SV 98 and the conditions at the Böllenfalltor. In Paris, the SAFC Operations Director was also accompanied by a delegation from the Spanish first division club UD Las Palmas, which is also linked to the Texas club on a cooperation level.
Following the impressive visit, the SS&E invited everyone to a joint meeting in their hotel. In addition to the representatives of the SAFC and the delegation from Las Palmas, the Lilies were able to have interesting discussions with Bobby Perez (Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel SS&E) and Joe Donnelly (Vice President of Corporate Development SS&E).
Perez: “It’s fantastic to meet our friends from Darmstadt here in Paris. Since the beginning of our joint project, we have been talking about the possibilities in the business sector, but of course also in the sporting sector. And in the short time we have worked together so far, we have already been able to address both topics. We can learn a lot from each other.”
From the hotel everyone then headed towards the Accor Arena, the venue for the NBA game in the evening. In addition to the sporting aspect, Victor Wembanyama in particular was the focus of interest around the game. The 21-year-old Frenchman and star player of the San Antonio Spurs was born not far from Paris and has now returned to his home region with his team. On the floor, the 2.21 meter tall giant was unimpressed by the hustle and bustle around him and contributed 30 points, eleven rebounds and six assists to his team’s 140-110 victory.
For the Lilies, the clear success of the Spurs was also the perfect end to a special trip with a great learning effect and special experiences, as Eilers explained on behalf of the team: “After an intensive day with lots of conversations, we ended the evening with this extremely interesting game. We would like to thank San Antonio FC and Spurs Sports & Entertainment very much for this very successful get-together and are happy to have met some new people.”
The Lilien in Paris
US-Website
You can now find all information about our cooperation with San Antonio FC and Spurs Sports & Entertainment in English on our new US subpage, which has been integrated into our homepage. There you will not only find out all the details about the partnership and the respective clubs, but you will also receive a lot of information about the cities of San Antonio and Darmstadt.
„The referee decided the game today.“
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.
Undefeated streak ends
For the first time since October, Darmstadt 98 finished a league match without any points: SV 98 lost 3-1 (2-0) to SG Dynamo Dresden. After a controversial red card against Patric Pfeiffer (42nd minute), the home side scored two goals in first-half stoppage time to secure the victory.
Team News: Three Changes to the Team
Under the floodlights at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadium. On Friday evening (February 27th/6:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will play away against Dynamo Dresden. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven. Raoul Petretta makes his first start, replacing Fabian Holland. Luca Marseiler starts in place of the suspended Marco Richter, and Hiroki Akiyama replaces Fraser Hornby, who is sidelined with a thigh injury. Fabian Nürnberger, Matthias Bader, and Bartosz Bialek remain unavailable due to injury.
Matchday Guide: All Information for the Dresden Game
A floodlit match at the Rudolf-Haribig-Stadion is always something special. Darmstadt 98 are aiming to take three points back to southern Hesse this Friday evening (February 27th). Kick-off is at 6:30pm. All the important information about the 24th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is clearly summarised for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Facts & Stats: The top facts about the Dresden game
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Fan Information for the Dresden Game
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
„Pure football romance“
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
“Now I’m happy in Darmstadt!” | Lilies launch their 5th tree planting campaign
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Opposition Check: SG Dynamo Dresden
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
5th Tree Planting Campaign: Register now!
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
U21: With renewed energy into the rest of the season
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.
Analysis of the home victory: The resistance fighters from Bölle
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.