by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The tiny German town of Spiesen-Elversberg is no stranger to football miracles, and another one may be just around the corner.
SV Elversberg, representing a subdistrict of just 7,500 residents near the French border, will face Bundesliga side Heidenheim in a two-legged relegation playoff on May 22 and 26, with a place in Germany's top flight on the line.
The club has stunned German football in recent years with a rapid rise from the fourth tier to the second division between 2022 and 2023. Now, after a 2-1 win at Schalke last weekend secured a third-place finish in the 2. Bundesliga, Elversberg has a shot at a third promotion in four seasons.
Mayor Bernd Huf, whose municipality of 13,000 lacks both a cinema and a train station, is unfazed by the growing spotlight. "We weren't ready for the third division and not for the second," Huf said with a smile. "But it worked out perfectly well."
Back in 2023, he had a scaffold erected in lieu of a town hall balcony to honor the promoted squad - then had it dismantled the next day, thinking the fairy tale had peaked.
While Hamburg and Cologne have already clinched promotion, Elversberg now prepares for its biggest challenge yet. Established clubs such as Nurnberg, Karlsruhe, Paderborn and Dusseldorf must watch from the sidelines as the underdog prepares for a shot at the big leagues.
The club's stadium, which has been steadily upgraded, now seats 10,000, with plans to expand capacity to 15,000.
On Thursday, Elversberg will host the first leg of the playoff, with head coach Horst Steffen - a 56-year-old with stints at Uerdingen, Monchengladbach and Duisburg - at the helm. Sporting director Nils-Ole Book has bolstered the squad with loan signings to navigate a modest 10 million euro budget.
The club also has ties to rising talent. Forward Nick Woltemade, now starring with Stuttgart, played for Elversberg during the 2022-23 campaign.
The team is largely funded by Ursapharm, a pharmaceutical company founded by former professional Frank Holzer, who made 113 appearances for Saarbrucken and Braunschweig. Holzer serves as the club's supervisory board chairman, while his son, Dominik, is president.
Officials credit the club's success to streamlined decision-making and pragmatic management. Steffen's squad boasts the second-highest goal tally in the 2. Bundesliga this season.
As thousands of fans descend on the town this week, Huf and local authorities are bracing for another wave of celebration - or heartbreak.
Either way, Elversberg is ready. ■
