SV Elversberg’s first Bundesliga season has already turned into a statement, and Vincent Wagner is now counting down to the next one. On Sunday, 13.09., Elversberg will face FC Bayern, and the 40-year-old said he is very much looking forward to meeting Vincent Kompany.
Wagner said Kompany makes a very nice and reflective impression, not just as a coach but as a person. That matters because it sets the tone for a match many expected to be one-sided, yet Elversberg are already ahead of FC Bayern in the table after a sensational start that included a win over Bayer Leverkusen on the opening day.
Wagner has tried to keep the focus on football rather than aura. He said his side are satisfied with their players, and while he does not want to park the classic bus in front of the goal, he also does not want Elversberg to go down waving white flags. His own appetite for the occasion is clear. He said he loves wide players such as Davies, Coman, Gnabry and Olise, because when those lanes open up, the game becomes fun to watch and fun to coach.
That confidence sits alongside a simple reality: FC Bayern remain the bigger-name favorite, with far greater squad value, while Elversberg are the promoted side. The gap between those labels and the table is what gives this match its edge. Elversberg finished second last season to earn one of the promotion places, and they have carried that form into the new campaign instead of settling into survival mode.
There is also a small oddity behind Wagner’s first meeting with Kompany. He said a suspension had prevented it before, which is why the encounter is happening now rather than earlier. In football terms, a suspension is a temporary ban from involvement, and once it expires the blocked meeting becomes possible again.
For Wagner, though, the story is not only about tactics or timing. He said his wife hates his long hair, while he prefers it and considers himself the boss when it comes to that choice. At home, he described life with four children as a democratic dictatorship. That sounds like a joke, but it also fits a coach who wants order without losing personality. On Sunday, the real test is whether Elversberg can keep theirs against FC Bayern.
