Elversberg Celebrates Historic Bundesliga Debut with Stunning Victory Over Bayer Leverkusen
In the small town of Elversberg, located in south-west Germany near the French border, a significant milestone was reached on Saturday as the local football team made its Bundesliga debut. Despite a population of just 13,000 and lacking a railway station, the community rallied around their team, which triumphed over Bayer Leverkusen, the league champions from two years prior, with a score of 3-2.
Coach Vincent Wagner had previously described the challenge of remaining in the Bundesliga as being akin to “a journey to Mars.” However, Elversberg has a history of overcoming obstacles and aims to continue this trend throughout the season. Technical director Josef Welzmuller emphasized the team’s structured ascent through football leagues. “It might sound like the rise has been a rush but at every stage the floor was solid before the next one was built,” he stated.
Welzmuller attributed their success to a strong decision-making process, ensuring that every move aligns with the club’s vision. “This is the whole magic to be honest, and a lot of very, very hard work,” he added.
Elversberg’s Impressive Journey Through the Leagues
The club’s rapid rise from the fourth tier of German football to the Bundesliga has been remarkable, featuring three promotions in just five years. While it is not uncommon for smaller teams to ascend quickly—similar to Wrexham’s leap from non-league football to the Championship—Elversberg’s journey has been distinct due to their lack of financial clout.
A pivotal figure in this ascent has been Ole Book, who transitioned from scout to sporting director shortly after joining Elversberg in 2017. His keen eye for talent fostered the development of young players, enabling them to shine in crucial matches. Notably, Nick Woltemade was loaned from Werder Bremen II in 2022 and showcased his skills by scoring 10 goals that season, eventually moving to Stuttgart before his record £69m transfer to Newcastle last year.
Book’s talent-scouting abilities ultimately attracted the interest of Borussia Dortmund, leading to his appointment there as sporting director in April. Despite his departure, Elversberg remains steadfast in their focus on youth recruitment. “We won’t do anything different,” Welzmuller remarked, affirming their commitment to intensity and clever gameplay as cornerstones of the team’s identity.
Elversberg’s Readiness for the Bundesliga Challenge
As the season unfolds, Elversberg faces significant challenges ahead, but the excitement among fans and locals is palpable. “What happened in the last few years was exceptional for the town,” Welzmuller noted, observing that Elversberg flags and team merchandise adorn the streets, indicating the community’s proud connection to the club.
Wagner expressed confidence in the team’s capabilities following their impressive win against Bayer Leverkusen. He recognized the gap in resources when comparing Bundesliga teams but insisted that if they focus purely on football, Elversberg can compete. “We’ve had a long and intensive pre-season, strengthened the team as much as we could, and managed to keep most of the players we wanted to keep,” he stated. As the club prepares for the demands of the Bundesliga, they aim to defy expectations and create a lasting impact in the top flight.
In south-west Germany, close to the border of France, lies the small town of Elversberg.
It has no railway station and a population of just 13,000, but on Saturday it enjoyed a moment of history as its football team played in the Bundesliga for the first time.
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Their debut performance was one that will live long in the memory as the side who just a few years ago was playing in the country’s regional leagues defeated Bayer Leverkusen – champions two years ago – 3-2.
Their coach Vincent Wagner had described staying up this season as challenge “like a journey to Mars”, but Elversberg are well-versed in defying the odds, and will aim to do so again this season.
“It might sound like the rise has been a rush but at every stage the floor was solid before the next one was built,” Elversberg’s technical director Josef Welzmuller said.
“We did it step by step and it didn’t feel like a fairytale for the people here because they are so strong in their decision-making and very clear in how they want to play and we want to act as a club.
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“This is the whole magic to be honest, and a lot of very, very hard work.”
How Elversberg rose through the leagues
Nick Woltemade (right), who joined Newcastle for £69m last summer, first caught the eye during a loan spell at Elversberg [AFP via Getty Images]
With three promotions in the past five years, Elversberg have swiftly climbed from the fourth tier of German football to the top flight.
It is not unusual in football for a small team to enjoy a rapid rise – Wrexham have famously done just that having gone from non-league football to the Championship.
But while they have been helped by having wealthy owners, Elversberg have never had similar financial clout – and as a result have had to do things a little differently.
A key figure in Elversberg being able to rise as quickly as they have was Ole Book.
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A former footballer in Germany’s lower leagues, Book joined Elversberg in 2017 as a scout, and within a year was promoted to sporting director.
Book had an eye for spotting talented youngsters and giving them the platform to showcase their emerging talent by becoming key players in the Elversberg team.
One of those players was Nick Woltemade, who was brought in on loan from Werder Bremen II in 2022 and went on to score 10 goals that season. Woltemade then joined Stuttgart before his £69m club record move to Newcastle last year.
Book’s impressive work at Elversberg ultimately caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund, who appointed him as sporting director in April, with the club specifically highlighting his ability to find and develop young players, “creating value for the squad”.
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Despite his departure, Elversberg have not changed their philosophy for the coming campaign, with talented youth being the main focus of their recruitment.
“We won’t do anything different,” Welzmuller added.
“The identity stays the same and it is built on three core pillars. The first is to be brave, the second is to be intense and the third is to be clever.
“You will see when you watch us we want high-intensity players, and that will stay the same forever.”
Are Elversberg ready for the Bundesliga?
Elversberg’s stadium is being developed to increase its capacity to 15,000 – 2,000 more than the population of the town [AFP via Getty Images]
A difficult season lies ahead, but the fans and residents of the town are excited by the challenge, and the club are represented everywhere when you walk through the streets.
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“What happened in the last few years was exceptional for the town,” Welzmuller said.
“When you walk or drive through the town at the moment you see Elversberg flags all around and you see people walking around with the team’s merchandise like a hat or jersey, which makes us all feel very proud.
“I feel like the club is part of the life of the people here.”
Elversberg have immediately shown they are not here to make up the numbers with a dominant win against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, and Wagner hinted before the match that they were ready to defy the odds.
“For us, the Bundesliga feels so far away at times. And yet, if you set aside the infrastructure and the money and just focus on playing football, we can – funnily enough – somehow already keep up with the pace,” he said.
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“We’ve had a long and intensive pre-season, strengthened the team as much as we could, and managed to keep most of the players we wanted to keep.
“The team is ready for the Bundesliga.”
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