What a season!
SV Elversberg achieved their major goal of staying in the league, so can plan for another second division season. After a strong year, there is also sadness on Kaiserlinde about the players leaving the club. However, sights are firmly set on the future.
Although the second half of the season was not as impressive as the first, and the club suffered clear defeats in its last two games, SV Elversberg have still achieved an astonishing season of play. Horst Steffen’s team, who were expected to be the first team to be relegated before the season started, got into the swing of things just a few matches in and showcased fantastic offensive football, as well as a willingness to run and put up a fight. Rather than just one or two highlights, the team was continually making its mark in this new league: with away wins against Schalke and St. Pauli and a home victory over Hamburger SV, to name but a few. Above all, how the team has dealt with setbacks has impressed more than just their own coach. They fought their way from behind several times, and above all things always remained calm – both in the team itself and at the club as a whole. The entire team played its way into SV Elversberg’s history books and the second division, and all those responsible deserve the greatest respect.
However, as is so often the case, football is a day-to-day business, and the team will look somewhat different next year. This meant that the final day of play saw some sorrow mixed in with all the joy. It was announced several weeks ago that captain Kevin Conrad would be retiring. He is stepping back due to multiple injuries after more than 100 games with SV Elversberg. However, Conrad is not the only old hand to be taking off his SVE strip: Marcel Correia, who has been out of action this season due to a torn cruciate ligament, will also be leaving the club. If and where he will be moving on to remains uncertain. The loudest applause went to Kevin Koffi’s retirement. With the exception of a one-year stay with SV Waldhof Mannheim during the 2019/2020 season, Koffi has been playing for SVE since the summer of 2017. With a total of 186 appearances in competitive matches, ‘Vino’ sits in fourth place on the list of SV Elversberg’s record players – and the centre forward undisputedly tops the club’s list of top goal scorers with a total of 74 goals. This is one of the reasons why Horst Steffen gave the club legend another start. Thore Jacobsen’s time at SVE was shorter but no less successful. The 27-year-old was under contract with SVE for two years. During the 2022/2023 third division season, Jacobsen was in the starting eleven for 37 competitive matches, followed by 29 appearances during the current second division season, including 17 in the starting lineup. The three loaned players Paul Wanner, Hugo Vandermersch and Wahid Faghir are returning to their home clubs. Wanner shaped offensive play this season and will be heading back to FC Bayern München. Vandermersch, who immediately became a regular feature on the right flank, is returning to SM Caen in France’s second division. Faghir put in particularly good performances at the start of the season, but was then taken out of action by a prolonged muscle injury. He is going back to VfB Stuttgart. Finally, Sebastian Saftig is also leaving SVE. Saftig was moved up to SVE’s professional team from their young talent centre three years ago as an U19 player. His destination also still remains up in the air.
Whenever lots of players leave the club, they are replaced by new faces. So far these are Frederik Schmal from TSG Hoffenheim II and Filimon Gerezgiher from SGV Freiberg. The responsible team under Nils-Ole Book and Horst Steffen will doubtless be presenting one or two more new additions in the coming weeks. The players are currently on a well-deserved holiday, and will soon be returning to begin preparations – because as fantastic as last season was, after the season is before the season. The next adventure is just around the corner.