Elversberg beat Preussen Munster to seal historic Bundesliga promotion

Elversberg have secured a historic first promotion to the Bundesliga after a 3-0 victory against relegated Preussen Munster guaranteed a second-place finish.

The Saarland-based club, representing a town of just 13,000 people, will become the smallest settlement ever to feature in Germany’s top flight.

First-half strikes from Bambase Conte and David Mokwa put the hosts firmly in control of the crucial weekend fixture.

Mokwa then added his second goal midway through the second half to trigger wild celebrations inside the 10,000-capacity Waldstadion an der Kaiserlinde.

A meteoric rise through the German pyramid

Joyous supporters spilled onto the pitch at full-time to celebrate a remarkable third promotion in the space of just five years.

Founded in 1907, the village outfit were operating in the regionalised fourth tier as recently as the 2021-22 campaign.

They narrowly missed out on reaching the promised land last season after suffering a 4-3 aggregate defeat by Heidenheim in the promotion-relegation play-off.

That previous fixture prompted rail operator Deutsche Bahn to mockingly post an image of a single-carriage train, suggesting a larger service would not be required for their travelling fanbase.

Stadium upgrades and top-flight preparations

Significant infrastructure upgrades are already under way to ensure the club’s facilities meet stringent top-division requirements.

Current renovations will see the stadium capacity increase to 15,000 by the spring of 2027.

Schalke will join the newcomers in the Bundesliga next term after clinching the second-division title to end their three-year top-flight exile.

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg must defend their elite status against third-placed Paderborn in the upcoming promotion-relegation play-off.