From the point of view of the Darmstadt coach Torsten Lieberknecht, there would be the thankless “Wooden Medal” for fourth place.

Just stupid: Four days before the end of the second Bundesliga round, the "lilies" are in fourth place.

In the final of the promotion battle, the South Hesse threatens the most annoying placement imaginable.

They must therefore find their way back to their old strength as quickly as possible.

In the first half of the season there was no defeat against the promotion competition, which has prominent names like Schalke, Bremen, St. Pauli and Nuremberg.

George Daniels

Editor in the sports department

  • Follow I follow

Only the 2:2 against Hamburger SV was not won.

But in the second half of the season, Darmstadt are no longer competitive at the highest level.

There were too many bankruptcies: 2:5 against Schalke, 1:3 in Nuremberg, 0:1 against Bremen and even 0:5 against Hamburg.

The duels against the current top six clubs were all lost.

The "lilies" still have one try: this Saturday (8.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the 2nd Bundesliga, on Sport 1 and Sky) in the away game against St. Pauli.

In third place, Hamburg are two points ahead of SVD, with goalkeeping coach Dimo ​​Wache extending his contract on Friday until July 1, 2025.

After the 5-2 defeat against Schalke, he expects his team “to remain stable and get back up despite the disappointment of the defeat.

Here in the club there is a motto: You have to fight.

We have to live that and keep reminding ourselves of it,” demands Lieberknecht.

“Despite the defeats, we showed that we are right to get involved up there.

But we have to show this standing up mentality again and again - until nothing works anymore.

She could only win one of the last five games.

And none of the past six encounters survived the Darmstadt team without conceding a goal.

Lieberknecht is not a clairvoyant either.

In order to be able to predict the season finale in tabular form after the St. Pauli game, he lacks the “crystal ball”.

But his feeling tells the football teacher "that there will be certain constellations up to the last day of the game that you don't expect right now".

Lieberknecht's big favorite remains sixth-placed HSV.

On the last matchday in Darmstadt, Schalke “already made promotion clear.

Nevertheless, I wish it for us and St. Pauli the most,” said the “Lilien” trainer and grinned.

In the game at Millerntor, Lieberknecht will not be able to coach his team due to the fourth yellow card.

For him, assistant coach Ovid Hajou is “leading” on the sidelines.

However, Lieberknecht is allowed to give the speech before the game, as he can go into the cabin during the half-time break.

“I will only follow the game itself from the stands and probably sit with our video analyst Max Kohl, who is always in touch with the bank via radio anyway,” said Lieberknecht.

The trainer has the short wire down via detours.