An exceptional season draws to a close

SV Elversberg have lost their last game of the season 0:3 against Karlsruher SC – leaving the cherry on the season’s cake out of reach. However, this takes nothing away from their performance this year.

‘We really want to give our fans a properly happy ending’, Horst Steffen said before the final game of the season – but sadly it was not to be. Although this might not be the end they were looking for from a sporting perspective, ultimately a forgiving mood reigned supreme on Kaiserlinde – since despite the unfortunate end, this season has been a phenomenal one.

And as is often the case at the end of a season, some players are leaving. Captain Kevin Conrad is drawing his career to a close. 37-year-old Kevin Koffi, the most successful striker in the club’s history, is leaving for a destination club currently unknown. Paul Wanner is returning to FC Bayern after a year on loan. Wahid Faghir, who was also a loaned player, is similarly heading back to VfB Stuttgart. In addition, Sebastian Saftig and Marcel Correia are leaving the club, with the latter retiring. Nico Antonitsch, who transferred to Hapoel Petah Tikva in Israel in the winter, returned to Saarland specially for the farewell ceremony. Thore Jacobsen and Hugo Vandermersch, who was on loan from SM Caen and is returning to France, are also leaving SVE.

Ultimately, Horst Steffen and his team managed to put together a hugely strong season. Many experts viewed SV Elversberg as a top candidate for relegation – but the team showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with. There were expected defeats, but also unexpected wins, and above all fantastic football. The challenge begins all over again next year.