Could the German Bundesliga be about to welcome its smallest ever team?

SV Elversberg, from a small town of around 13,000 people, face Heidenheim in a promotion/relegation play-off.

If they win – and most second-tier teams don’t – they will welcome Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and the rest to their stadium with a capacity of 10,000.

The club’s Sporting Director, Nils Ole-Book, has been telling World Football's Mani Djazmi how they've gone from the fourth tier to the brink of the big time in just three years.

Photo: Cornerflag of SV Elversberg in the Ursapharm-Arena Stadium before the Second Bundesliga match between SV 07 Elversberg and SC Preußen Münster at Ursapharm-Arena on March 15, 2025 in Spiesen-Elversberg, Germany. (Credit: firo sportphoto/Getty Images)