SV Darmstadt 98 statement on VAR criticism ahead of DFB-Pokal vs Carl Zeiss Jena at Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld, Jena; backs protests; urges limiting VAR.
Statement on fan criticism of VAR – SV Darmstadt 1898 e.V.
Ahead of the cup match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena (August 23, 3:30pm), Florian Kohfeldt answered questions from the assembled journalists at the press conference. We have summarised the key statements made by the Lilien coach prior to the first round of the DFB-Pokal.
Facts & Figures: Key Stats about the Jena Match
On Sunday, SVD faces FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round of the 2026
27 DFB-Pokal season. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams in this competition. You can find all further facts and figures regarding the match here.
Fan information for the cup match in Jena
On Sunday (August 23rd), we will be playing away against FC Carl Zeiss Jena at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld. Together with you, we aim to advance to the next round of the DFB-Pokal. As always, here is all the organisational information regarding the cup match in Jena:
A forum for meeting and getting to know one another
For many years, the Lilien sponsors’ summer party has been a fixture on the SV Darmstadt 98 summer calendar. For this year’s event, the club headed to the Ried region—specifically to the Coreum in Stockstadt am Rhein. Together with more than 400 guests, the Lilien enjoyed an evening that was both informative and entertaining, and which flew by in a flash.
Starting Friday: Member pre-sale for Wolfsburg
Our third away match of the new season takes us to Lower Saxony. We will be visiting VfL Wolfsburg on Matchday 6. Here’s how you can be there to support the team: the pre-sale for members begins this coming Friday (August 21) at 12pm – both online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion.
BoxKlub Martinsviertel invites you to an open event.
On September 3rd, children, young people, and their parents can find out about the new offering and get some hands-on experience with the punching bag.
U21’s misses out on late winner
SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team drew 1–1 (1–0) away at KSV Baunatal. After taking the lead through Yannick Stark, the “Lilies” conceded an equaliser shortly after the break. Patrick Kurt’s side dominated proceedings for much of the remainder of the match but, despite numerous attacking forays, failed to score the decisive goal.
No points in Dresden. In a match with few chances, the Lilies lost 1-0 to SG Dynamo Dresden. In our analysis, we look back at the 90 minutes.
Executive Board Informal Gathering Enters Its Third Round
On Wednesday, September 2nd, we invite you once again to a relaxed exchange with our executive board, starting at 7pm.
„A well-deserved victory for Dynamo“
The Lilies have lost their first away game of the new season. We have summarised the post-match reactions for you.
SV Darmstadt 98 lost their first away game of the season. The Lilies were defeated 1–0 by Dynamo Dresden after conceding an early goal.
Team News: Sickinger and Smit Start
For their first away match of the season, the Lilien visit SG Dynamo Dresden (August 16, 1:30pm). Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to last week. Hiroki Akiyama is missing from the squad due to illness, with Carlo Sickinger stepping into the starting lineup in his place. Additionally, new signing Milan Smit starts instead of Fynn Lakenmacher.
Statement on fan criticism of VAR
It was announced yesterday, Thursday (August 20th), that organised fan groups across Germany are planning major protests against the video assistant referee (VAR) during the first round of the cup competition. The SV 98 fan base has also stated that it will participate in these protests during the Lilies match against Carl Zeiss Jena. SV Darmstadt 98 fully understands the reasons behind the protests and is in complete agreement with the views expressed on many points.
Markus Pfitzner: “VAR was introduced nine years ago to correct clear errors and thereby make football fairer. While that original intention was entirely understandable, we must now acknowledge that we are a long way from actually achieving that goal. Instead, VAR often strips football of the spontaneous emotion that is such a vital part of the sport—and of German professional football in particular. At the same time, VAR frequently sparks debate, as many decisions remain difficult to comprehend and the on-field referee’s authority is undermined. In our view, decisions involving goal-line technology or clear-cut offside calls are exceptions, as these allow for a decision to be reached very quickly and without room for interpretation. For these reasons, we would welcome limiting VAR to precisely those types of decisions.”