Around 15,000 fans gave Bundesliga promoted SV Darmstadt 98 an enthusiastic welcome on Whit Monday.
After the entry in the city’s Golden Book, the team around coach Torsten Lieberknecht, who was soaked from numerous beer showers, presented themselves to the enthusiastic supporters on a large stage in the city centre.
“The team delivered a sensational season. And you fans performed just as well from day one. We fought with passion, celebrated great victories, lost games with decency and never lost sight of the goal,” said Lilien President Rüdiger Fritsch the performance of the Hessians.
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The team had already completed their fourth promotion to the top flight after 1978, 1981 and 2015 on the penultimate day. “I would like to thank the team, who did an outstanding job, my entire coaching team, the club management, my family and the fans, who give us a lot of emotions and are the club’s most important mouthpiece,” said Lieberknecht.
Darmstadt’s Mayor Jochen Partsch had previously congratulated the team on their promotion at a reception. “We cheered, suffered and celebrated with you,” said the politician from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.
The 61-year-old described Lilien’s football as “passionate and authentic” and praised: “Your rousing and at the same time down-to-earth style of play resonates with people, brings them together and makes them role models beyond Darmstadt’s city limits.”