An away game in the capital. The Lilies travel to the Olympiastadion next Saturday (April 12th, 1pm) for the 29th matchday of the second division, where they face Hertha BSC. How does Florian Kohfeldt view this match? How does he assess the "Old Lady" and the importance of Fabian Reese? And how pleased is he about Fabian Holland's contract extension? The head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 answered all of these questions at the press conference at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor on Thursday. We've summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Holland, Matthias Bader, Paul Will, Christoph Zimmermann, Kai Klefisch, and Othmane El Idrissi are unavailable. Meldin Dreskovic is out with a groin problem, and Fraser Hornby is a doubt. Oscar Vilhelmsson returned to training this week and is an option for Saturday’s squad.
For both teams, every point increases the likelihood that they can continue planning for the 2. Bundesliga. We are very vigilant and are keeping an eye on the overall situation. We want to go to Berlin to win there. Hertha also wants to continue their excellent run of three consecutive wins against us. I expect an attractive football game. Both teams will rely heavily on positional play and will want to defend actively. It will be tactically exciting. But I also expect a great game for the spectators with plenty of goal-scoring opportunities on both sides. The Olympic Stadium is one of the most beautiful stadiums in Germany. We are very much looking forward to it.
Fabian Reese is one of the difference-makers in the league – if not the difference-maker in the 2. Bundesliga. Hertha lost a lot when he was unable to play. However, Hertha cannot be reduced to just Reese at the moment. They have an incredibly good squad with exceptional players in all parts of the team, who have come together to form a solid collective under Stefan Leitl. I really appreciate Stefan for his work. He brought organisation and structure to the team. Under him, Hertha has stabilised extremely well after just one or two games. They have a clear idea of how they want to attack and defend. Reese is an absolute fixture in their game. But we must prevent the players behind him – Maza is just as exceptional a player – from being able to set him up. We must address the cause and ensure that he doesn’t get too many balls. If he does get balls, we should do everything we can to avoid having a lot of depth behind us.
I am delighted that our long-time captain is staying on board. This is very good news for the team, the club, and the fans. As sporting management, we want to set modern and new standards in our squad planning; last summer, with new signings, some from abroad, demonstrated this. At the same time, Fabi Holland’s contract extension is a clear sign that we know how important identification is for Darmstadt 98 as a location. We are very happy that we can continue to have a role model with an outstanding character and personality with us. In our positive discussions with him, we sensed that he is still very enthusiastic. He has had a difficult year, and we hope that he will quickly fight his way back.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
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.