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.
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
At the end of the current season, the partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and Software AG, which has grown over many years, will end due to a strategic realignment of the software company.
The DFB sports court has suspended Patric Pfeiffer for one match following his sending-off against SV Elversberg.
Four goals, three points, and a well-deserved victory in the Hessenliga! At home against VfB 1905 Marburg last Saturday (April 25th), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally celebrated a win after a long wait. Thanks to their confidence, assertiveness in one-on-one situations, and numerous scoring opportunities, the U21s convincingly beat the Marburg team 4-0.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
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.
They fought to the very end, playing with ten men, and tried everything. But in the end, Darmstadt had to settle for a 3-3 draw against SV Elversberg in the sold-out Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. How do the Darmstadt players and staff assess the passionate 90 minutes at the Bölle? What did both head coaches have to say about the match? We've compiled all the reactions for you.
No winner in the clash of the pursuers: Darmstadt 98's home game against SV Elversberg ended in a 3-3 (2-3) draw. After three consecutive defeats, SV 98 managed to secure at least a point and now has 51 points this season. Pfeiffer (14th minute) and Hornby (15th and 51st minutes) scored for the team from southern Hesse.
It's home game day at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. On Saturday evening, the 31st matchday of the 2. Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg. Head coach Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting eleven compared to last week. Raoul Petretta replaces Fabian Nürnberger (thigh injury). Yosuke Furukawa also starts in place of Killian Corredor against the team from Saarland.
A new match under the floodlights awaits! On Saturday evening (April 25th, 8:30pm), Darmstadt 98 play against SV Elversberg. What are the coaches' opinions before the game? Who will referee, broadcast, and commentate the match? And what kind of weather can Darmstadt fans expect at the stadium? All the information is compiled for you in "Matchday Guide."
What are Florian Kohfeldt's thoughts on Saturday evening's match (April 25th/8:30pm) against SV Elversberg? Where does he see the strengths of their upcoming opponent? And how does his team plan to get back on track after three consecutive defeats? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday (April 24th) in the catacombs of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. We've summarised Kohfeldt's key statements from the press conference for you.