SV Elversberg could celebrate a promotion again and play in the Bundesliga in the future. Before the relegation, the mayor talks about success – and the challenges.
For SV Elversberg, the relegation against 1. FC Heidenheim (from 9 p.m. in the T-Online live ticker) is about promotion to the Bundesliga on Thursday evening. Horst Steffen’s team has made the 2nd league with attractive and brave football and could now fulfill the dream of the upper house.
T-online spoke to the mayor of Spiesen-Elversberg, Bernd Huf, about the sporting performance of the association from Saarland-and also about the challenges that are associated with it.
T-online: Mr. Huf, what is the importance of SV Elversberg for your community and region?
Bernd Huf: In Saarland we have been looking forward to a Bundesliga club for a long time. It was sensational that we rose to the 2nd league. This gave the community such a boost in terms of cohesion and identification with the community. You can feel that it is a huge success for the community and the Saarland. If it continues, we think that it has an impact on economic power in Saarland.
You used to play football yourself. How do you rate the team’s performance and what makes them?
It is sensational how the march from the regional league into the 2nd league. Nobody believed it. It was always assumed to play against relegation. But the team instructed us better. Working calmly in the club and it was a stroke of luck with Ole Book (sports board, Note d. Red.) and Horst Steffen. Success proves you right, as is the attractive style of play. Football is impressive.
Horst Steffen had offers from large clubs in the past and has nevertheless decided to remain in Elversberg.
The trainer has a huge proportion of success. We are very pleased in the region that it is so down -to -earth and did not give in to the temptations, but has remained in Elversberg. Everyone here in the community wishes that the whole thing continues.
The stadium expansion is currently still in progress. What is the current status?
The plan to gradually expand the stadium had already been carried out on the 3rd league on the rise from the regional league. The club is there, you can also see it when you are in the stadium. Except for the north stand, all grandstands are raised. It will take until the end of 2026 for the stadium to be completed in the final expansion. However, the DFL has given a special permit, so that it can still be played in Elversberg.
What do you see as a mayor of infrastructure and security with regard to a possible Bundesliga promotion?
We are a 13,000-soul community and have four employees in the municipal regulatory service. Cities like Hamburg, Cologne or Munich laugh. So far we have made it and will continue to do it in the future. The infrastructure still has to do a lot, but that doesn’t work so quickly, the team ran away.
Elversberg himself does not have a train station, but is sometimes better connected than big cities.
We have three train stations in the neighboring municipalities. The closest to the stadium is two kilometers away and the longest ICE station is almost five kilometers. We also have a shuttle and the fans can also travel by bus.
So the association and the community would be prepared, should a stream of BVB fans come?