Bundesliga season preview: SV Darmstadt 98
With not long until the 2016/17 Bundesliga season gets under way, it is high time to put each club's upcoming campaign under the microscope. bundesliga.com's previews will provide you with all you need to know ahead of the big kick-off on 26 August…
Big question
Next up are SV Darmstadt 98…
Can Darmstadt pull off another miracle and survive? The Lilies were a breath of fresh air last season – their first campaign in the top flight in over 30 years – with Dirk Schuster's side sealing survival courtesy of a 2-1 win at Hertha Berlin on the penultimate day.
Watch highlights: Darmstadt beat Hertha to stay up
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Inspirational head coach Schuster is now at FC Augsburg, and has been replaced in the Darmstadt hotseat by veteran tactician Norbert Meier. Striker Sandro Wagner has left for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, while goalkeeper Christian Mathenia is now at Hamburger SV. If Darmstadt are to stay up second time around, it would be an even bigger achievement that the first.
New faces
Coach
Key man
Key dates
Darmstadt begin the season away at 1. FC Köln, before welcoming Eintracht Frankfurt for a local derby on Matchday 2. The following weekend brings a tough trip to Borussia Dortmund, before the Lilies travel to Augsburg on Matchday 5 for a reunion with former coach Schuster.
Click here to see Darmstadt's full schedule
Home ground
One of the league's most characterful arenas, the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor has a capacity of 16,500.
Watch: get to know the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor in the exclusive video tour below