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.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.