When the day comes

The images after the final whistle on matchday 31 could not have been more contrasting. On the one hand, the Heidenheimers celebrated an away win that will most likely allow them to stay in the league. On the other hand, it was clear that the Lilies would be competing in the second division again next season. “We were finally relegated today. And that hurts brutally,” Tobias Kempe gave a brief insight into the emotional world that was the same for all Darmstadt residents. “It’s an absolute rubbish feeling,” Marcel Schuhen also didn’t mince his words, and Fabian Nürnberger had to say in dismay on the DAZN microphone: “It’s pretty empty inside me at the moment.”

The previous 90 minutes can be quickly summarised: a balanced game with chances on both sides. Plus two strong goalkeepers who saved their teams from falling behind on one or two occasions. And then shortly before the end another strange goal was conceded. This was followed by a cross that, bizarrely, could not be cleared, but instead landed directly on the goalscorer’s foot. “The way this game went and the goal we conceded is emblematic of our season,” said Schuhen.

SV Darmstadt 98 simply experienced too many games like this in this 2023/24 Bundesliga season – they actually kept up quite well and presented themselves well, but they didn’t get enough points in terms of points and they didn’t defend attentively or consistently enough, especially in crucial situations. “Of course we don’t have enough points, we made too many individual mistakes and perhaps we often didn’t have the right feeling for how things were going in the Bundesliga,” was the SV 98 goalkeeper’s first analysis. With only 17 points In terms of points, the Lilies already have no chance of another year in the Bundesliga three match days before the end of the season.

After the clear 4-0 defeat against their rivals from Mainz, everyone in Darmstadt was able to adjust to the fact that it was hardly possible to stay in the league. However, this relegation would have been a great football miracle before the season anyway. “In the end, nothing happened that was unforeseeable,” said club president Rüdiger Fritsch in the mixed zone of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor and added: “The problem is how.”

After all, up until the Mainz game it was quite realistic and within the realm of possibility to stay in the league. The special constellation of this Bundesliga season also allowed us to have a say in the relegation battle for a long time, even with relatively few points. But especially in the sometimes very close games against their direct competition (except for the 2-0 win in Cologne), the Lilies were unable to gain the necessary points. A winless streak of 22 games in a row and a league-high total of 73 goals conceded did the rest. In addition, SV 98 failed to achieve consistency throughout the season, let alone get into a flow – neither away nor at home. Only a meagre six home points are by far the lowest score of the competition. “We will work through this with everyone involved,” explained Fritsch, who also made it clear at the same time: “Nothing will get lost here. Nothing breaks down here either.”

The Darmstadt President’s last two sentences were supported by the scenes after the final whistle. When a team is relegated, completely different scenarios have been seen in other stadiums, explained Lieberknecht. But not at the Böllenfalltor location. There on Nieder-Ramstädter-Straße in Darmstadt, where the cohesion of the entire Lilien family is firmly anchored in the DNA of every Darmstadt soul – and is also lived. “Here in the stadium you felt a commonality between all the lilies,” emphasised the head coach and added: “It was a really big sign from the fans to show commonality in this difficult defeat.”

Something that the players in particular really appreciated. Their deep gratitude for this was not only noticeable among the protagonists who later appeared in front of the microphones and cameras. The team stood in front of the curve for minutes, then set off on a lap through the entire stadium – always receiving encouraging words and chants from the stands. Marcel Schuhen:

It is these people, these special fans, for whom SV 98 is obliged to invest everything in the remaining three Bundesliga games in order to say goodbye to the Bundesliga with dignity and decency. First in Wolfsburg, then at home against Hoffenheim and at the end of the season in Dortmund. It’s important to show once again that the Lilien family sticks together – in league one and in league two next season.