The average football supporter, outside Germany at least, probably has no idea who the visiting team are. It was much the same with Hoffenheim years ago. The project launched by the owner of SAP was initially ridiculed and later admired, once his “village team” began appearing in European competitions.
It is impossible to know what the future holds for SC Elversberg, a club from a small town located around 200 kilometers northwest of Stuttgart. On Sunday afternoon, however, the match in Düsseldorf definitely had something at stake. The hosts were fighting to avoid relegation to the 3. Liga, while the visitors were pursuing the exact opposite objective, direct promotion to Germany’s top division.
More than 42,000 spectators dressed in Fortuna’s red and white colors gathered at the Merkur Spiel-Arena. I must admit that, wearing a green jacket, green trousers and green shoes, I attracted a fair number of curious looks from the locals.
Fortuna defeated the visitors convincingly, and the margin could easily have been greater. Had I not known the league positions, I would never have guessed that one of the teams was aspiring to play in the Bundesliga the following season. Only one player really impressed me, namely the captain and central playmaker, who organised both the attacking and defensive game of his team very efficiently. There were no stars whatsoever.
Sunday’s victory represented a major step towards securing Fortuna’s place in the second division. That will certainly not satisfy the club’s large support, who are undoubtedly waiting for a return to the elite, from which Fortuna were relegated in the 2020/21 season.
The stadium, with more than 50,000 seats, is already of the required quality and size. The commitment of the supporters is also at the right level.
Now the players need to climb to that level themselves. First, however, they must properly negotiate the final two matches of the 2. Bundesliga season.
