21.04.2024 / English
“Wear the lily on your chest with pride!”
Arm in arm, very close to each other. The left arm wrapped around the left, the right arm wrapped around the right next man. The heads are close together. The eleven lilies are in the team circle and they will play together in the Bundesliga game against 1. FC Köln from 3:30pm. Tobias Kempe speaks in the circle and looks deeply into his teammates' eyes. “Wear the lily on your chest with pride!” he says.
When Tobias Kempe reported this scene after the final whistle, there was a great deal of relief in his voice. SV Darmstadt 98 won. Finally. After 22 games without a win, the Lilies picked up three points again against 1. FC Köln. A long time without such a sense of success. The 2-0? “It feels brutally good,” said Kempe. “A great feeling,” said Christoph Klarer elsewhere in the mixed zone. “We’re just happy,” Torsten Lieberknecht revealed at the press conference, where this time he didn’t have to congratulate the opposing club on their victory first.
Images that the entire sports club and its supporters had longed for for so long were also taken on the square in front of the curve. “I am very pleased that we have once again given the city of Darmstadt and our fans a Bundesliga victory,” said the head coach. The impressions of the full, blue and white guest block were still in the minds of not only Lieberknecht, but also all Darmstadt protagonists who stepped in front of the microphones after the 2-0 win. “Winning in this stadium in front of so many Darmstadt fans who have traveled with us is good for us and the whole club,” said Klarer happily and added enthusiastically: “It’s really cool when you’re standing in front of the curve and the entire guest block is full to the brim with blue and white fans.” It was not a given that 3,500 lilies made their way to Köln. After all, the SV 98 fans have already had to go through so much disappointment this season. But this impressive block of guests once again showed the solidarity that exists in this club.
We will do everything we can to represent the club in the league with decency and honour.
And that despite the sporting situation. SV Darmstadt 98 is still bottom of the table even after beating 1. FC Köln 2-0. With a nine point gap to Mainz, who are in the relegation zone and who can still catch up on Sunday evening (April 21st/7:30 pm) away to SC Freiburg and have a significantly better goal difference, the Darmstadt team needs a really big football miracle. “We will do everything we can to represent the club with decency and honour in the league,” promised Klarer, but at the same time he had to admit: “We still know that we have dropped too many points in the past – especially in the season direct duels. That’s why we are where we are.”
Game on a knife edge
A direct duel was also the one against 1. FC Köln, who were also threatened with relegation. A game on the knife edge. SV 98 had not been able to win games like this so often in the last few weeks and months. But it wasn’t like that in the Rhineland. The Lilies finally showed themselves to be extremely efficient, scoring two goals despite fewer attempts on goal compared to their opponents. There was zero at the back. But more than that. The Darmstadt team showed “simply a good game,” as Kempe attested to his team. “We deserved to win 2-0,” said the number eleven from South Hesse.
“Wear the lily on your chest with pride!”
It was the sentence that Tobias Kempe chose in the team circle before kick-off. A good two hours later, after the final whistle, he stood in the mixed zone of Köln’s RheinEnergie Stadium and remembered his words. Wear the lily on your chest with pride. Kempe: “That’s exactly what everyone did today.”
Stolperstein tour commemorates Jewish club members
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.
New breadth for the future and commemorating the past
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.
Secure your tickets now: Home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on general sale.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
Well-deserved victory for the Young Lilies
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.
With the right mindset and positive development
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.
Krombacher Böllenfalltor-GOAL-Bonus
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.
„Didn’t lose our heads after falling behind early“
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:
Game turned around! A spirited home win!
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.
Team News: Two Changes to the Team
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).
Matchday Guide: All Information before the Cottbus Game
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.
Secure your tickets now: 1. FC Nürnberg vs. SV Elversberg – general sale!
Tickets for the league match in Nürnberg (Nov. 7th) and the cup match in Elversberg (Oct. 27th) are available for purchase now.
Organisational information for the home match against Cottbus
For the upcoming home match on Saturday (October 10th, 2026, at 1pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information. Since the start of the season, we have been offering dedicated entrances for women at the west side of the stadium. Additionally, there is a "Bölle Bande" family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance. Please also take note of the information provided by HEAG regarding the autumn break.