The tiny town aiming to defy odds in Bundesliga debut

Elversberg, a small town in south-west Germany with a population of 13,000 and no railway station, is set to make history as its football team plays in the Bundesliga for the first time. The team has enjoyed a meteoric rise from the regional leagues to the top flight in just a few years.

According to Elversberg's coach Vincent Wagner, avoiding relegation in the top flight would be a significant challenge, likening it to "a journey to Mars". Despite this, the team is well-versed in defying odds and aims to do so again this season.

Elversberg's technical director Josef Welzmuller attributes the team's success to careful planning and hard work, stating that they achieved their rise "step by step" with a solid foundation at each stage. The team has secured three promotions in the past five years, swiftly climbing from the fourth tier of German football to the top flight.

Brief written by urgent.news from BBC Sport Football, Yahoo Sports, BBC Sport — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.