A cool morning settles over the slopes of the Saar Valley as the first rays of sunlight touch the Kaiserlinde tree. Nestled among half-timbered houses and narrow streets, a place awakens that barely registers on maps – yet it now plays a lively role in professional football. And the club almost qualified for the top flight, narrowly losing out to 1. FC Heidenheim in the summer's relegation play-offs. But this season, too, demonstrates that in Elversberg, the smallest town in the entire 2. Bundesliga, the tranquility of everyday life blends seamlessly with footballing excellence.
Today, when people think of SV Elversberg, they picture the surprise promotion winner – but the club’s roots stretch far back, to a time when football was still played on open fields. Founded in 1907 as „FC Germania Elversberg,“ the club experienced its early years as a rollercoaster of euphoria and turmoil: World War I led to its dissolution in 1914, but the club was re-established in 1918 – this time as „Sportvereinigung Elversberg VfB.“
With the construction of the sports field at the Kaiserlinde in the 1920s, the team finally found a permanent home. On the field, they fluctuated between the A-Class, the District League, and the Regional League. After World War II, the occupying powers reorganised the club system, and in 1945, all the local sports clubs merged to form the „Sportgemeinde Elversberg.“
After several years in the district and regional leagues, the club achieved promotion to the Landesliga, the highest amateur league in Saarland, in 1951. In 1952, the club reverted to its original name, „Sportvereinigung Elversberg VfB 07,“ which later became „SV 07 Elversberg e.V.“
What hardly anyone could have foreseen at the time: decades later, this Saarland community would become a professional club, poised to establish itself in the 2. Bundesliga. The Saarlanders were already competing in the second division for the third consecutive season.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Younes Ebnoutalib – 10 Goals | Bambasé Conté – 5 Assists |
| Bambasé Conté – 3 Goals | Lukas Petkov – 2 Assists |
| Lukas Petkov – 2 Goals | Nicholas Mickelson – 2 Assists |
| Frederik Schmahl – 2 Goals | Lukasz Poreba – 2 Assist |
| Felix Keidel – 2 Goals | Felix Keidel – 2 Assist |
Vincent Wagner
Head coach at SV 07 ElversbergSV Elversberg currently dominates the offensive statistics. With 210 shots on goal, the team leads the league. They not only regularly put opposing goalkeepers under pressure, but also frequently find the back of the net: 27 goals is also a league-leading figure. Arminia Bielefeld follows in second place with 25 goals.
The hall smells of sweat and rubber, the sound of feet striking the mats echoes off the walls. A young Younes Ebnoutalib stands barefoot in the centre, his gaze fixed on his father. Faissal Ebnoutalib, Olympic silver medalist in taekwondo, corrects his son’s posture, gently rotating his hips. The boy nods—and the next moment, his foot shoots upward with lightning speed, clean, precise, powerful. No one in the hall at that time suspected that these movements would one day form the basis for a completely different career.
Today, you can recognise it in every sprint he makes, in every physical contact, in every turn in tight spaces. Younes Ebnoutalib possesses a sporting foundation that is rare in professional football: a black belt. Ebnoutalib’s football career began at the age of 14 in the youth academy of SV 07 Heddernheim, and he later moved to Rot-Weiss Frankfurt before joining the youth team of SV Wehen Wiesbaden in 2019. After another stint at Rot-Weiss Frankfurt, he moved to Italy in 2022, where he played for the U19 team of AC Perugia. His contract was later terminated due to a broken foot, leaving him without a club for six months. In January 2025, he returned to Germany and signed with FC Gießen in the Regionalliga Südwest (fourth tier) – there, he scored six goals and provided several assists in 19 appearances.
… Later that same year, he made the jump to the 2nd Bundesliga: SV 07 Elversberg signed him on January 1, 2025, with a long-term contract until 2028. And Ebnoutalib is delivering: This season he has made 13 appearances and scored ten goals.
A floodlit match at the Rudolf-Haribig-Stadion is always something special. Darmstadt 98 are aiming to take three points back to southern Hesse this Friday evening (February 27th). Kick-off is at 6:30pm. All the important information about the 24th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is clearly summarised for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
In an intense 90 minutes between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Lilies fought back to secure three points shortly before the final whistle. The early lead taken by the team from southern Hesse was quickly erased by the Rhinelanders. The match became increasingly wild and physical. The second half remained evenly contested, but in the end, SV 98 once again demonstrated their fighting spirit: Matej Maglica's late header sealed the three points. What do the players and the two head coaches have to say about this thrilling encounter? We've compiled all the post-match reactions.
SV Darmstadt 98 remain a force to be reckoned with at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor! The Lilies defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 (1-1) on matchday 23. It's their sixth consecutive home win, bringing their total to 45 points. Hornby opened the scoring for the home side after just seven minutes, before Maglica (88th minute) netted the decisive goal in the second half.