SV Elversberg, a modest football club in Spiesen-Elversberg, a small municipality in Saarland, Germany, with a population of 13,080 from the 2024 census, has secured a historic promotion to Bundesliga, following a 3-0 win over Preußen Münster, finishing in second place of the 2. Bundesliga, with the same amount of points as Paderborn (62) but with a far superior Goal Difference, finishing runner-ups behind Schalke with 70 points.
This football club, with a 10-seat capacity stadium, the Ursapharm-Arena, where almost the entire town would fit, was founded in 1907 but has played most of its life in lower categories: regional leagues and third, fourth, or fifth divisions. They achieved a promotion to 3. Liga in 2021-22, and the following season they achieved a historic promotion to 2. Bundesliga, their highest ever league so far, under coach Horst Steffen, who left last summer to Bundesliga club Werder Bremen, being sacked in February.
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One year ago, they were one goal away from qualifying for Bundesliga after losing 4-3 in the promotion play-off. One year later, a 3-0 win in the final matchday of the second division secured the promotion to Bundesliga on goal difference, without the need to go to play-offs.
The manager, Vincent Wagner, formerly coach for Hoffenheim II, told that a friend had said to him that 'Elv promoting is like flying to the moon'. "We managed to make the moon landing today", he said (via BuliNews).