Historic start in the 2. Bundesliga awaits for SVE
What a year it has been for our Elv: thanks to outstanding performances, coach Horst Steffen’s team deservedly secured the championship title in the 3. Liga and thus gained promotion to the 2. Liga. So for the very first time in the club’s history, SV Elversberg will be competing in Germany’s second-highest division. The players enjoyed their well deserved holiday in a variety of ways, including plenty of celebrations. However, the players did not get to rest for too long – the 2. Liga adventure soon began casting its shadow.
Sports director Nils-Ole Book and coach Horst Steffen have therefore been working hard on the squad. The core of the promotion team remains in place, but has been boosted with a targeted influx of fast-paced players: Dominik Martinovic (Waldhof Mannheim), Joseph Boyamba (1860 München) and Wahid Fagir (VfB Stuttgart, Leihe) fit perfectly into our Elv’s quick, attack-driven play. In Tim Boss (Magdeburg) the team has gained a good alternative for in goal, and a left back has been signed in Arne Sicker, who has previously played in both the 2. and 3. Liga. The first new signing was Paul Stock – the midfielder came from the TSV Steinbach Haiger regional league.
Whether this will offset the loss of top player Nick Woltemade remains to be seen. However, confidence still generally reigns supreme in Elversberg. This is also because the core of the team is still in place: captain Kevin Conrad is back after an extended period of injury during preparations, whilst Marcel Correia (Paderborn, Regensburg, Kaiserslautern and Braunschweig) Carlo Sickinger (Sandhausen) and Nico Antonitsch (Ingolstadt) have past experience in the 2. Liga with previous teams. Technically strong and quick Jannik Rochelt, who trained with FC Memmingen and left his mark in the 3. Liga, will be able to make a stir one league higher. Experienced Luca Schnellbacher once again proved his scoring prowess during the championship year, racking up 14 goals and impressing with his speed and efficiency. Thore Jacobsen and Robin Fellhauer were also on top form throughout the season.
SVE is therefore planning to put up a fight in the 2. Liga as well. ‘Of course, the 2. Liga will be an entirely new challenge. But as well as viewing it as an adventure, we will also be doing all we possibly can to stay there and establish a foothold’, president Dominik Holzer explained. The foundations have been laid for this in past preparations. SVE began work on 26 June and have gone from strength to strength, with their offensive style serving them particularly well in their victory against FC Ingolstadt (6:2). They even managed to win out over Bundesliga team Hoffenheim (2:1), with just the one defeat to a relegated team from 2. Liga, SV Sandhausen. However, Horst Steffen was not always satisfied. The football coach criticised his charges’ play in the test match against Wormatia Worms, which they won 3:0 despite a weaker performance. He also had issues with some training sessions. However, overall the promoted team’s coach is very satisfied with his team: ‘Things are good so far. The guys have stamped on the gas and fitness levels are very decent.’ As well as our Elv’s footballing class, Steffen also considers it vital to once again create a ‘good community’ and ensure that the new arrivals are ‘integrated quickly’.
As preparations come to an end, the season opener is looming, against Hannover 96 on 29 July 2023. ‘I am thinking about Hanover from time to time and watching some second league games’, Steffen explains. ‘The mood is very joyful. We regularly have top games, with big crowds by our standards. We are really looking forward to it.’ Things will be kicking off in Hanover soon, followed by the first home game against Hansa Rostock, then the explosive DFB Cup match against the Bundesliga team from Mainz. One thing is certain: SVE will be moving from one highlight to the next this season – and absolutely deserve it. But rather than just being an adventure, the aim is to make this a successful one. To achieve this, Horst Steffen and his team have laid the foundations during training, with promising results. ‘Our strategy has always meant seeing an opportunity to establish a 2. Liga club here’, Dominik Holzer explains. This has now been achieved – so the next goal is to stay in the league.
HYLO® Sports will be following their progress with pride, and wish SVE an exciting and successful season. We will be there to support!