DARMSTADT FACT FILE
Wednesday, 16. August 2017, 15:19 Uhr
The Boys in Brown travel south to face SV Darmstadt 98 on Friday evening (kick-off: 1830 CET), just four days after exiting the DFB Cup at SC Paderborn. As usual, we've put together a few facts on our forthcoming opponents.
Out at the first hurdle
Things didn't go according to plan for the Lilies in the DFB Cup. Although new signing Arthur Sobiech gave them the lead over SSV Jahn Regensburg five minutes before the break, they were unable to hang on to their lead, Marc Lais levelling from the spot in first-half stoppage time. Then, with everyone expecting the game to go to extra-time, Regensburg struck twice through Jonas Nietfeld (87') and Marco Grüttner (90'+4) to seal a 3-1 win.
18 in, 19 out
Relegation can be an opportunity to clear the decks in squad terms, and this was the case at Darmstadt this summer. Head coach Torsten Frings welcomed 18 new signings, including one or two familiar names. Tobias Kempe returned from league rivals Nürnberg, for example, while Arthur Sobiech arrived from Hannover 96. Among the 19 players to leave the Böllenfalltor were Jerome Gondorf, Marcel Heller and goalkeeper Michael Esser. Plenty to do, then, for Frings and his coaching staff.
Champions League experience
In Hamit Altintop and Kevin Grosskreutz, the Lilies boast two players with Champions League experience. Altintop's 41 appearances in European football's flagship competition came with four different clubs – FC Schalke 04 (6), Bayern Munich (17), Real Madrid (4) and Galatasaray (14) – while Grosskreutz ran out 29 times for just one, Borussia Dortmund. Both players reached the final once, though neither was able to get his hands on the trophy.
Staying at the Böllenfalltor
Darmstadt fans were on tenterhooks when conditions imposed by the German Football League (DFL) meant a move away from the club's traditional home ground looked to be on the cards. But after a review of the alternatives the city council and the club concluded six weeks ago that a step-by-step refurbishment of the stadium was the best option. Amid the celebrations, however, club president issued the following words of caution: "After years of intensive analysis of a variety options, this is the last chance to create the infrastructure required for professional football in Darmstadt."
Photo: Pressefoto Eibner
