In south-west Germany, near the French border, the town of Elversberg (population 13,000) makes history as SV Elversberg plays its first Bundesliga match. The club's meteoric rise from regional leagues to the top flight in a few years includes three promotions in five seasons. Coach Vincent Wagner likens avoiding relegation to "a journey to Mars," but technical director Josef Welzmuller insists the growth was methodical: "At every stage the floor was solid before the next one was built."

Unlike Wrexham, Elversberg achieved this without wealthy owners. Key to their model was sporting director Ole Book, who joined in 2017 and excelled at spotting young talent like Nick Woltemade (10 goals on loan from Werder Bremen II, later a £69m record move to Newcastle via Stuttgart). Book's success earned him a move to Borussia Dortmund in April, but Welzmuller vows the philosophy remains: "brave, intense, clever" with high-intensity youth focus.

Facing giants like Harry Kane's Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Dortmund, the town is buzzing with flags and merchandise. Welzmuller says the club "is part of the life of the people here." First up: Leverkusen, last season's unbeaten champions. Wagner believes focusing purely on football can bridge the resource gap.