One sells photovoltaic systems, the other is a player in the newly founded Baller League. Still others have their own company and advise on tax matters and pension issues. The paths of the 2014 promotion heroes look very different, but the miracle of Bielefeld unites them all. Over the last few weeks we have spoken to the protagonists who played in the relegation second leg on May 19, 2014. We wanted to know how they look back on what they have achieved, but at the same time what their career path looked like and what they are doing today. Anecdotes of broken windshields and sleepy gas station stops included.
“The first thing that comes to mind is how we as a team received the “You have to fight” wristbands, it was a big sign of faith and solidarity,” says promotion hero Elton da Costa. But he’s almost at a loss for words for his goal to make it 4-2: „It’s so incredibly difficult to describe the feelings that come with this goal. At that moment I could have just hugged everyone.“ The Brazilian hit the ball “perfectly,” as he says, in the second minute of added time in extra time. His left-footed shot was slightly deflected and then flew from the shooter’s right into the net of the goal. “Pure ecstasy” was the motto afterwards. Particularly emotional for the midfielder: it was the last game of his professional career.
At the age of 18, Elton da Costa came to Germany from Brazil, more precisely to Hesse. The left-footed player played for FSV Frankfurt from 1998 to 2000, after which he came to Böllenfalltor for the first time. Costa wore the Lilies jersey from 2000 to 2003, after which he moved to the 2nd Bundesliga to SpVgg Unterhaching. The midfielder played in the same league from 2005 to 2010, where he was active for FC Augsburg. Before he went back to the Lilies, there was a short trip to Kickers Offenbach. In 2012, the Brazilian’s sporting home was once again the Böllenfalltor. After da Costa ended his professional career after promotion in Bielefeld, the now 44-year-old played amateur football at FCA Darmstadt and FC Bensheim. The offensive man then also became a coach at FC Bensheim, and in 2021 he moved to the FCA coaching bench. Although da Costa no longer holds this position, he will be back on the sidelines from summer onwards. The rising hero also works part-time at Lilien partner “TheReSport”.
Darmstadt was my second professional club in Germany; I grew very fond of the club during my first spell here. Coming back here was like being home again. And then in the last game, securing promotion with the last shot: That completes the circle!
“After this season it’s definitely over and I’ll end my active career. After that I will become a youth coach. And it is definitely the goal to take over a men’s team in the future,” says Dominik Stroh-Engel. The former Lilien attacker is currently playing in the Bavarian Regional League at FC Memmingen. In the summer of 2013, “Dodo” decided to move to the Lilies – and the striker really delivered at the Bölle. In his first 34 third division games he scored 27 goals, making him by far the top scorer. A season later, Stroh-Engel was also an important part of the team that was promoted to the Bundesliga. After two years in the Bundesliga with SVD, the attacker moved to Karlsruher SC, and after stints in Unterhaching and Kufstein he finally went to Memmingen.
And what happened in May 2014? In the second leg of the relegation game, Stroh-Engel scored in the 23rd minute to make it 1-0 from the 98’s point of view, a particularly special goal for him for an exciting reason: „That was my first and also my only goal outside the sixteen-yard box,“ Stroh-Engel remembers with a laugh. “There were really four dream goals that evening,” said the striker. The team’s first goal was to go into the half-time break with a lead. The Lilies also managed that with his goal. “It gave us another boost for the second half. “We believed in it a few percentage points more than we already did,” says Stroh-Engel, looking back on the miracle.
A day later we were on the bus on the way to the town hall, I was standing at the front and doing something on the microphone. Then the bus driver stupidly braked and I just flew into the windshield, after which the thing cracked.
“In Wiesbaden (37th matchday) at the end of a very fair game, I looked at the clock and thought to myself: Aytac, now you have to go!”, remembers the Lilien captain in the documentary “The Miracle of Bielefeld “ of SV 98. The leader of the team had already received nine yellow cards. It was clear to everyone involved that they would need Sulu for a successful relegation. Therefore, Sulu fouled his opponent and thus picked up the yellow card for the last match day. “My goal was to simply blow him away,” says the Heidelberg native. His plan worked, he got the card, was suspended on the last match day against Kiel and was then allowed to play both relegation games. The captain also played a decisive role in Bielefeld’s miracle game: in the decisive scene, Sulu rose up to head the ball in the Bielefeld penalty area, and the ball fell to the feet of Bielefeld defender Elton da Costa. The rest is history.
With 210 games for SV Darmstadt 98, Aytac Sulu can be seen as an absolute legend of the club; he played for the Lilies from 2013 to 2019. However, it took many stops before the German-Turk found his sporting home in southern Hesse. Trained in the youth ranks of SV Sandhausen, Sulu went via Balingen and Hoffenheim to Aalen, followed in 2011 by a move to Turkey to Ankara and to Austria to Altach. After his long and successful time at SVD, Sulu went back to Turkey and played for Samsunspor. After he came back to Germany at the beginning of 2020 and played again for Carl-Zeiss Jena, Sulu ended his career in the summer of 2020. But the 38-year-old has not turned away from football. Sulu is now on the sidelines as assistant coach of the U23 at TSG Hoffenheim in the Regionalliga Südwest.
Jumping up so quickly after the goal (4:2) and signaling the final whistle to the referee didn't happen so quickly. In normal life I can't get up as quickly as I did at that moment!
“Looking back, it was a really nice goal,” says Behrens with a laugh, ten years after his goal to make it 2-0 in Bielefeld. He used his heel to convert a corner from Milan Ivana. But despite his goal, for Behrens the question about the moment that immediately comes to mind about the miracle in Bielefeld is quickly clarified: “It’s definitely 4-2 in stoppage time!” The pictures of him in the corner are still in the minds of many Lily fans. “At exactly that moment I had the feeling that everything was worth it and that I could basically reap the rewards for all the effort,” said Behrens about his feelings. “For me it was promotion at that moment, I didn’t even think that Arminia could score again,” says the midfielder, describing the decisive moments.
The now 34-year-old stayed at the Bölle for another year, was even promoted to the 1st Bundesliga with the Lilies, and was an SVD player for a total of three years. In the summer of 2015, Behrens moved to Nuremberg, he also became captain of “Der Club” in 2017, and Behrens played a total of 200 games for the Franconians. After another stopover at Hansa Rostock, the right-footer moved to Persija Jakarta in Indonesia for a year and has been under contract with VfB Lübeck since the summer of 2023. “I currently live with my girlfriend in Hamburg and feel very comfortable here,” says Behrens, describing his current situation. After health problems, he hopes to be able to play on the football field again soon.
When I once played with Hansa Rostock in Darmstadt, the Darmstadt fans sang: “Hanno Behrens is a Lily pig!” I found that super funny and had to grin. When I looked into the curve, I also saw a lot of smiling faces. That was pretty cool.
Sandro Sirigu was a lily player for six years; the defender wore the SVD jersey from 2013 to 2019. Then he moved to the third division team Chemnitzer FC, and after one season he moved on to Sonnenhof Großaspach. Sirigu finally ended his active career in 2021 – and switched back to SVD!? Exactly right, the defender worked in the events/CSR department for the 98ers from July 2021. He was responsible for the Bölle Bande at the Lilies and was also active as an assistant coach for the U19. The next step in the coaching business followed promptly, the Odenwälder club SV Hummetroth signed Sirigu as head coach. “I learned a lot and took away a lot from my time in Hummetroth,” said Sirigu, who stepped down from coaching in August 2023. “Now I’ve got my trainer B license and I’m working with the village club SV Fürth around the corner from me,” explains the former midfielder and adds with a smile: “If someone from SVD calls me, I’ll always be happy to be there. ..”
The fact that the now 35-year-old has something very special in common with the Lilies is of course also due to their promotion in 2014. Sirigu started the second leg in the starting line-up, but was then substituted for Aaron Berzel in extra time (98th minute) after he kept having cramps. When he was on the bench and saw Bielefeld’s goal to make it 2-3, he had already practically checked off promotion: “I was so depressed because I knew it was over now. At that moment I thought that we needed two more goals, until someone told me that we were still only missing one goal.“ That released new strength in Sirigu, and on the bench he gave everything to push the team again . “I stood outside with cramps in both feet and yet I was still euphoric that we could still do it. “I just did everything I could to signal to the team that nothing was lost here,” recalls Sirigu.
After the game in Bielefeld and the promotion, the head coach's daughter shaved our assistant coach Sascha Franz's hair bald in our dressing room.
“The first thing that comes to mind is the blocked ball in the 120+3. Minute,“ emphasises Aaron Berzel. He can be seen to a certain extent as a secret promotion hero, with virtually the last action of the game he blocked another shot from a Bielefeld player. Kneeling on the ground, the defender prevented the possible 3:4, which was equivalent to that „After Elton’s goal to make it 4-2, there was a certain emptiness in me,“ Berzel remembers the miracle in Bielefeld. After his substitution in the 98th minute, Bielefeld scored in the second half Extra time made it 2:3, and Berzel saw himself as the culprit at that moment. “In hindsight, I would say I was partly to blame for the goal, but at that moment I thought I had completely screwed up in good German and was too far away. At that moment, thoughts come to mind that because of you, this big goal might not be achieved,” says Berzel.
Back to the present. What are you doing today, Aaron? „I live with my wife near Dortmund, we have two small children, a son and a daughter. I stopped playing football in the summer of 2023, and I was able and wanted to take it easy over the last year. Since then, I have started selling photovoltaic systems and am still doing so. In the future, I can imagine switching back to the sports sector and working for a club, for example, even though the distance will definitely be good for me now “The defensive player was active at the Bölle for a total of a year and a half, and in 2015 he moved to Münster. The now 31-year-old played most of the games for 1860 Munich, and played 80 times for TSV Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in the regional league.
When we came out of the dressing room after half-time in Bielefeld, the song “On Days Like These” by Die Toten Hosen was playing in the stadium. We often heard this exact song on the bus and in general at the time. When I realised this, I immediately thought: Something is happening today!
The first miracle of the relegation was actually an appearance by Marco Sailer. After a thigh injury, the attacker was missing from the last four third division games. Before the first leg against Bielefeld at the Bölle, it had already been communicated that Sailer would not be fit in time. Everyone was all the more surprised that “Toni” was on the pitch for 199 of a possible 210 minutes in the relegation, with two assists he played a big part in the relegation success. “I had these games in mind, four weeks beforehand you are told that it won’t work. Of course, a world collapses. “To be able to make it in the end, and with such an experience of all things, was something incredibly special for me,” says Sailer, looking back on ten years ago.
To this day, the man with the special beard is an identification figure for the Lilies. The now father of six lives with his family in Georgenhausen near Reinheim. “Three years ago I started my own business and advise companies on corporate pension issues,” says the former striker. After breaking his tibia in 2018, Sailer decided to end his career. But the Baden-Württemberg native can’t stop kicking completely. He still laces the shoes for the traditional Lilien team. Sailer played for the SVD professionals from 2013 to 2016. Sailer began his career at VfR Aalen. The striker came to the Böllenfalltor via Fürth, Wiesbaden and Heidenheim. After his time in Darmstadt, he played for Wacker Nordhausen until his injury.
I wasn't there at all during this "gas station robbery" because I slept on the bus. I was so exhausted after the game that I slept on the bus and was only told all of this afterwards. To this day I am asked about it and always laugh when I talk about it.
“The promotions from the 3rd to the 2nd league, then from the 2nd to the 1st league and the subsequent relegation in the Bundesliga. Those were the most intense and extreme years I have experienced in my career,“ says Marcel Heller, looking back on the period from 2013 to 2016. „When I think about where Darmstadt was at the beginning of this time and what we achieved there, “That’s crazy,” says Heller. The right-footed player came to Darmstadt from Alemannia Aachen in the summer of 2013. Except for one season in Augsburg (2017/18), the now 38-year-old stayed with the Lilies until 2020 with spells at SC Paderborn, FSV Frankfurt and SV Straelen. The attacker has now ended his active career, but Heller has not disappeared from the scene yet; he already played in the first edition of the Baller League this year and he will probably be there again in the second season. “I really enjoy it and I feel absolutely fit enough,” says Heller, who currently lives in Aachen. Football will remain his area of work in the future. “I can’t get away from it, so I’m excited to see what the future holds and what positions I might be able to hold,” he emphasises.
Miracle of Bielefeld. Heller: “The moments after the final whistle immediately come to mind when I remember the day.” The offensive player played the full match in Bielefeld. “After the final whistle it was pure joy, combined with an incredible amount of emotion about what we had achieved,” recalls Heller: “The feeling is actually indescribable, we went there with what felt like zero chances, no one really believed in us anymore. I don’t have the right words to describe it.“ The attacker, who was born in Frechen, was one of the long-running favorites of the season for the Lilies and, with 3,223 minutes of action, had the third most of all field players.
Marcel and Jerome kept giving the Lilies' equipment manager money so that he could buy sweets. This was to ensure that there was always enough chocolate for the team.
“The first thing that comes to mind are the moments in the locker room before the game. After the first leg we managed to build up a conviction and a belief that we could still make it. “You really noticed that when you were warming up, in the dressing room and then before you came in,” goalkeeper Jan Zimmermann said, looking back on the relegation second leg. “I think it was the key that we as a team were convinced of it,” said the current goalkeeping coach. The fact that the final result was 4-2 was also thanks to the post, at least in extra time, when Bielefeld’s Arne Feick struck the woodwork. “It was just pure relief that that header didn’t find its way into the net. Nothing goes through your head anymore, the situation was pure stress and afterwards you were just relieved. After that I had to take a really deep breath.“
Jan Zimmermann played a total of 138 games for SV Darmstadt 98; the Offenbach native was in goal for the Lilies from 2011 to 2014. After his time in Darmstadt, the now 39-year-old went to 1. FC Heidenheim, before moving to Frankfurt via 1860 in 2017. Zimmermann was also still active as a player until 2020, acting as the second and third goalkeeper at Eintracht Frankfurt. At the beginning of 2020 he ended his active career and became a goalkeeping coach at the SGE. He still works for Frankfurt in this role today. “I have an incredible amount of fun, I look forward to going to work every day,” says Zimmermann. “When I was still a player, I already wrote concepts about how I would do it as a coach. Because I come from a different era „Where we didn’t have a dedicated goalkeeping coach when we were young, I want to give the young people a different education,“ says the 39-year-old, euphoric about his job.
I had organised tickets for the game in Bielefeld for two friends and my brother. After the first leg defeat, they decided against coming to the game on Monday evening. When I looked at my phone after the game, there were lots of congratulations. And three boys who were really excited.
“Incredible goosebumps and probably the greatest success of my career,” is how Josip Landeka sums up May 19, 2014 succinctly. „It was like in a movie. To be honest, I’m not so sure whether everyone was really completely convinced that we could do it,“ the Offenbach native looks back with a smile. In the relegation, the midfielder was used in the second leg In the 70th minute, Landeka came on as a substitute for Milan Ivana, and shortly before the end he had the opportunity to make it 4-1. „When Stroh-Engel made it 1-0, I had the feeling that we could do it today and that feeling lasted until the end It was over there. “When Bielefeld scored in extra time, my next thought was: We’ll score another goal here,” remembers the German-Croat.
In his youth, the now 37-year-old played for Kickers Obertshausen and SG Rosenhöhe and then came to FSV Mainz 05, where Jürgen Klopp was the coach. After one season each with the Stuttgarter Kickers and Wehen Wiesbaden, Landeka moved to Carl-Zeiss Jena for two years, followed by a move to Chemnitzer FC in 2012. After half a year with the Lilies and promotion to the second division, the midfielder returned to Baden-Württemberg. Landeka first played for Sonnenhof Großaspach, then he played again for the Stuttgarter Kickers from 2016 to 2019, where he also ended his active career. Stuttgart has remained the center of his life; today the former Lilie lives in the state capital of Baden-Württemberg and has opened his own consulting company “LandekaNetworks”. “We help active athletes with questions about taxes, insurance and real estate,” says the 37-year-old, giving an insight into his current working life.
For me it was a great gesture from Norbert Meier that after the game he stood there in a small room with a few of our players and said: The promotion was not deserved, but well deserved!
He has been wearing the Lily on his chest without interruption since 2012: Michael “Stegi” Stegmayer. The Heidenheim native was trained in the youth ranks of SSV Ulm and FC Bayern. In 2006, Stegmayer moved to VfL Wolfsburg and appeared in eleven Bundesliga games. This was followed by moves to Jena, Aalen, Unterhaching and Vaduz in Liechtenstein. The left-back came to the Bölle in the summer of 2012, and in his first season he played all the games over the full distance. The now 39-year-old also played in 37 games in the 2013/14 promotion season, only a yellow card suspension prevented him from completing the next full season. After the 2015/16 Bundesliga season, the defender ended his career and became team manager for the 98ers. Stegmayer has held a new position since July 2023; the left-footed player is now head of the SV 98 licensed player department.
Even in the relegation ten years ago, “Stegi” lived up to its reputation as a long-running favorite. In both the first leg at the Bölle and at the Alm in Bielefeld, the defender played the full distance. In the third division season, the 39-year-old had the most minutes of all outfield players with 3,330 minutes. The current head of the licensed players department scored his only goal of the season on matchday 33 in a 2-0 away win at Preußen Münster. Before the relegation second leg in Bielefeld, the team was convinced that they could somehow get promoted. How did they manage that? This is what Stegi told us…
After the first leg we were all very depressed. The next day Aytac, Zimbo and I went for a walk and at some point I said to the boys: We just can't do normal, we need something extraordinary. Suddenly all three of us were convinced, ran back to the stadium, turned on music and created a positive feeling throughout the entire team that we could do it.
Together they formed an absolute defensive wall: central defender Aytac Sulu and his partner Benjamin Gorka. With only 29 goals conceded, the Lilies had the second-best defense in the 3rd league, only champions Heidenheim conceded four fewer goals. Gorka moved to Böllenfalltor in 2012. The Mannheim native was trained in the youth ranks of Waldhof and TSG Hoffenheim, and from 2005 the defender was active at SV Sandhausen. Until the now 40-year-old found his permanent sporting home in Darmstadt, he moved to Eintracht Trier, Sonnenhof Großaspach, Hamburger SV II, Wacker Burghausen and VfL Osnabrück. Given all the numerous positions, it is hardly surprising that Gorka played most of his games for the SVD, wearing the Lily jersey a total of 96 times. With the 98ers, Gorka rose to the Bundesliga and stayed in the league in 2016. On the last matchday of the 2016/17 season, he came on as a substitute shortly before the end and thus received the well-deserved applause of the Böllenfalltor for five years in southern Hesse.
Miracle in Bielefeld, promotion to the Bundesliga against Pauli and Bundesliga relegation at Hertha. There were three memorable games within three years and who was on the pitch every time: Benjamin Gorka! While playing times were reduced in the 2nd and 1st Bundesliga, the central defender was back on the pitch in the big games.
79th minute of the game, Marco Sailer pokes the ball off the boot of a Bielefeld player and the ball falls right at Jerome Gondorf’s feet. The midfielder takes two or three steps and then slams the ball from a central position into the Bielefeld goal from 25 meters. A good second later the guest block explodes. Goal. 3:1 for the Lilies. Renewal! A shot from the Karlsruhe native felt like he was being pulled on a string. In extra time, Gondorf was frustrated and in the 112th minute Dirk Schuster replaced him and brought on Elton da Costa. The now 35-year-old was clearly dissatisfied with the decision at that moment, but around ten minutes later this anger would have definitely fizzled out…
The midfielder, who will end his professional career after this season, started in his youth at Karlsruher SC and then came to the Lilies in 2013 from the Stuttgarter Kickers. Gondorf stayed with SVD until 2017 and experienced both promotions and relegation in the Bundesliga with the 98ers. After relegation, he moved to Werder Bremen, and after just one season the midfield strategist moved to SC Freiburg. In the winter of 2020, he returned to his youth club Karlsruhe, and the right-footer has also been captain of the Baden team since the 2020/21 season. In mid-February the decision was made to end his active career in the summer; Gondorf has played over a hundred Bundesliga games and 160 second division appearances in his career.
Marcel Heller and Jerome Gondorf repeatedly gave the Lilien's equipment manager money so that he could buy sweets. This was to ensure that there was always enough chocolate for the team.
The Slovakian, Milan Ivana also has a special significance for the 2014 relegation. Although the midfielder was substituted for Josip Landeka after 70 minutes in the second leg, Ivana scored the all-important goal in the first leg to make it 1-2 in the 65th minute of the game. After a low cross from Jerome Gondorf, Marco Sailer forwarded the ball with his heel in the six-meter area, Ivana pushed the ball over the line at the back post and gave the diving Stefan Ortega no chance.
The 1.70 meter tall striker began his career at the Slovakian FK AS Trenčín, and from 2004 to 2007 Ivana played at 1. FC Slovácko. After stints in Prague and Bratislava, the attacker moved to the then third division club Wehen Wiesbaden in January 2012. After a year and a half in the Hessian capital, the Slovakian went to Darmstadt, where he played at the Bölle from 2013 to 2016 and experienced both promotions with the Lilies. After his time in southern Hesse, Ivana stayed in Germany and moved to the then regional league team SV Elversberg. Further changes followed until he signed with ASV Zurndorf, an Austrian club near the Slovakian border, in January 2020. A year later he went to FK Hainburg an der Donau for six months, where the now 40-year-old ended his active career in the summer of 2021.
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.
Lilies at the Wildpark! SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC this coming Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) for the 32nd matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Will Darmstadt's positive record from recent encounters continue? Will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg extend their scoring streak against KSC? And will Fabian Schleusener finally stop scoring against SV 98? We've compiled all the facts and figures for you.
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
At the end of the current season, the partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and Software AG, which has grown over many years, will end due to a strategic realignment of the software company.
The DFB sports court has suspended Patric Pfeiffer for one match following his sending-off against SV Elversberg.
Four goals, three points, and a well-deserved victory in the Hessenliga! At home against VfB 1905 Marburg last Saturday (April 25th), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally celebrated a win after a long wait. Thanks to their confidence, assertiveness in one-on-one situations, and numerous scoring opportunities, the U21s convincingly beat the Marburg team 4-0.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.