Press conference on Thursday (October 17th) with Florian Kohfeldt. The head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 was available to the journalists present in the PK room of the Merck Stadium at the Böllenfalltor before the Lilies' home game against 1. FC Köln (18.10/18.30pm). It was about anticipation, the upcoming opponent and your own approach as well as the work during the international break. We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Holland, Paul Will and Matthias Bader are known to be out. Christoph Zimmermann is also missing. Otherwise all players are ready to play.
I see the game as a huge opportunity – with the special atmosphere and the connection with our fans. And we are really keen to take the three points and get out of the game with a push. Of course we haven’t won a home game for a year. And of course we definitely want to win here – especially at home. There’s actually no better setting for it: Friday evening, floodlights and then against the top favourite in the league. But we have to do it together on Friday. Even during the warm-up we have to feel that everyone in the stadium is keen to get the home win. If we can get this vibe going, I’m really looking forward to Friday evening.
I’m really looking forward to the game. I’m already looking forward to when the blue light is on in the players‘ tunnel, when you look out and it finally starts. I longed for moments like these. And they were also a reason why I signed in Darmstadt.
1. FC Köln is the most difficult task you can get in this league. Köln certainly has the team with the highest individual quality in the 2nd league. You can see this in their games and – even though I’m not a fan of them – in their market values, where they are far above all other teams. They have incredible offensive quality in their squad. The FC wants to switch quickly by winning the ball. They play very quickly in depth and use their speed and individual quality on offense.
It will be extremely important for us to find a good balance. We need a good mix of high alertness on defense, but on the other hand we also have to focus on our own offense and not let Köln get going. Because that’s another quality of theirs: They are the most intense team in the league when it comes to sprints and intensive runs. Köln is definitely a tough place for us.
I was very happy about the international break. It was an advantage for the coaching staff and team to work on their physicality and content. We put a lot of focus on defending – with two main focuses: 1.) How do we get into pressing? What are the moments when we want to win balls? We have to develop the feeling as a team for good situations and get the balls. The team has to recognise these situations, we have been working on that. 2.) Defending in your own box. That was also a big topic for us. But it’s all a process. We feel like we took a good step during the international break. For us, it’s also about developing playing fitness that suits our style of play. That doesn’t mean that the team wasn’t fit before. The team’s willingness to work in the athletic area is very high. She would like the intensity of training to remain too high. The team has become more robust in the last few weeks. But this is also a process that is not yet complete.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.
