In the world of football, a yo-yo team is a team that oscillates between two leagues – too good for one league, but not quite at the level of the next higher one. The result is usually many promotions and many relegations. But SV Elversberg is currently redefining the term. For several years now, the yo-yo has been taking SVE almost exclusively upwards.
At the beginning of this decade, the team from Saarland was still playing in the Regionalliga Südwest (fourth tier), until their championship win there in 2021 paved the way for promotion to the third division. However, the 3. Liga proved to be just a brief stopover. In their very first season back, SV Elversberg also won the title there and immediately moved on to the next level. Currently, Elversberg’s yo-yoing has taken them to the second-highest German league – and they’ve been there for three seasons now. However, the trend in recent years has shown that they could still be promoted to the next division.
With a third-place finish last season, Elversberg qualified for the relegation play-offs, but their progress stalled against Heidenheim, and SVE remained in the 2. Bundesliga. Elversberg currently finds itself in another relegation play-off spot, but only five points ahead of fifth-placed SV Darmstadt 98. We’ll take a closer look at Darmstadt’s opponent.
Identical to their final matchday of the previous season, Elversberg sits in third place with 55 points, currently occupying the relegation playoff spot. They have secured seven out of a possible 15 points in their last five matches. The game at the Bölle stadium marks the Saarland team’s third encounter in the second half of the season against a top-five opponent. Having only managed a single point against Hannover and Schalke, they will undoubtedly be even more eager for a win under the floodlights on Saturday.
| Opposition | Result | Points |
| Karlsruher SC (H) | 3:0 | 3 |
| FC Schalke 04 (H) | 1:2 | 0 |
| Hannover 96 (A) | 1:1 | 1 |
| Arminia Bielefeld (H) | 3:1 | 3 |
| SpVgg Greuther Fürth (A) | 0:2 | 0 |
| Top Scorer | Top Assists |
| Lukas Petkov – 10 Goals | Tom Zimmerschied – 7 Assists |
| Bambase Conte – 3 Goals | Lasse Günther – 6 Assists |
| David Mokwa – 3 Goals | Lukas Petkov – 5 Assists |
| Frederik Schmahl – 3 Goals | Bambase Conte – 5 Assists |
| Luca Schnellbacher – 3 Goals | Luca Schnellbacher – 3 Assists |
Vincent Wagner
Head coach of SV ElversbergWhen thinking about Elversberg’s football in recent years and this season, their offensive power and playing ability immediately come to mind. However, what might sometimes be overlooked is Elversberg’s strength off the ball. Virtually no other club in the league boasts the best tackle success rate in the competition (51 percent). But that’s not all: with the fewest fouls, „ELV“ is also the fairest team in the league – a testament to their skill, discipline, and mastery of challenges.
They signed him in the dead of winter, but he’s since warmed up. Still under contract with HSV, Immanuel Pherai is currently on loan at SV Elversberg – and he’s performing well, proving to be a real asset to the team. To get more playing time, the Dutchman moved to Saarland at the beginning of February. And he’s certainly getting that playing time now.
Pherai is a key playmaker in attacking midfield, and therefore also responsible for goals. In the past, however, this hasn’t always been the case. With a brace against Karlsruhe recently, he not only got on the scoresheet but also ended his personal goal drought. Before that, he hadn’t scored since January 2024! That spell is now broken. In his last three games, he’s been directly involved in three goals. His contributions have also led to some impressive statistics: in the German second division, he now has 14 goals, 14 assists – and (fun fact) 14 yellow cards.
With HSV, he’s already proven he knows how to achieve promotion. Whether his experience will also benefit his teammates in the Elversberg jersey will be revealed at the end of the season. On Saturday evening (April 25th), he travels with SVE to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. And he has a special motivation: Pherai will be celebrating his 25th birthday under the floodlights. However, he won’t be getting any gifts in this top match…
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.