A football club from a town of just 7,000 people has made history by securing promotion to the Bundesliga, becoming the 59th club to play in Germany's top flight.

Elversberg, located in the small state of Saarland in southwestern Germany, has no train station and only three bakeries. The club was founded in 1907, disbanded during World War I, and re-established in 1918.

After reaching the third division in 2013 and being relegated immediately, the club returned to the third tier in 2022. Under coach Horst Steffen, they achieved back-to-back promotions, reaching the second division in 2023.

In the 2024/25 season, Elversberg finished second in the 2. Bundesliga, securing automatic promotion. Despite losing Steffen and several key players, the club maintained stability under new coach Vincent Wagner.

Wagner said: "A friend told me: 'If Elversberg get promoted, it's like flying to the moon.' Well, today we made it to the moon."

The Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde has a capacity of 10,000—more than the town's population. Expansion to 15,000 is planned by 2027, but an exemption has been granted.

The club generated €10 million from transfers while spending only €3 million. With an average squad age of 25.3, Elversberg's success is built on collective strength and continuity in leadership.

Source: www.dw.com