District League

Reported from Berlin Tom Offinger

In no German city are the footballing contrasts as great as in Berlin: while 1. FC Union is knocking on the door to the Champions League four years after being promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time, Hertha BSC is slowly tumbling towards the 2nd division after chaotic years.

However, the city on the Spree does not only seem to be feeling the football tremors in the professional field: “Delay Sports Berlin” has been making the headlines nationwide for months and attracts thousands of spectators to the Preussenstadion in Berlin every week. With 19 wins from 19 games (as of April 28, 2023), the young club was promoted to the next higher league early in its first season.

All this doesn’t happen in the regional or upper league, but in the district league C – the tenth league in Berlin’s game operations. The still young club has long been number 1 on the Spree in social networks: With 630,000 followers, Delay Sports clearly surpasses both of the city’s first division clubs on Instagram (Hertha: 279,000 followers, Union: 244,000; as of April 28, 2023).

Delay Sports: Success story in Berlin football

“Yes, of course, that makes me proud, but we don’t pride ourselves on it either,” grins Elias Nerlich, a little embarrassed. Nerlich, who has been one of Germany’s most successful streamers under the pseudonyms “EliasN97” and “Eligella” for years, is the face behind the success of Delay Sports. Together with friends (including the former Hertha professional Sidney Friede), the 25-year-old fulfilled a dream – and founded his own football club in 2021.

Nerlich has been known to the general public throughout Germany since the game started last summer at the latest, even if Delay Sports is a “fun project”, as compared to the native of Berlin ran on the fringes of the Formula E weekend in the German capital.

Delay Sports: Elias Nerlich is pursuing big goals

On the one hand, they are very proud of the popularity on the internet and in social media, but at the same time they don’t want to compare themselves to professional football, emphasizes the 25-year-old, who acts as an attacking midfielder on the pitch.

“It’s mainly about fun. Of course we don’t play to lose either, but it’s not like we have to win every game and have to go up to the professional level,” explains the influencer.

Exactly how far up Delay Sports will go is anyone’s guess, even Nerlich has no clear goal in mind. One thing is certain though – the ninth division isn’t meant to be the end of the road for the streamer’s club.

“We definitely want to continue to climb in the next few years. We got promoted in the first season, we’ll play in the district league B next year and of course we want to get promoted there too,” he confidently formulates the goals for the coming season.

The 25-year-old is not lacking in confidence, “I think we can keep up,” he assures with a broad grin.

Delay Sports: What’s going on with Max Kruse?

For the time being, the team should continue to consist of the well-known players and friends around Nerlich – after all, this aspect is in the foreground. “It’s about playing football with your friends – at some point we’ll have to bring a few people along because we’re getting old,” laughs the Berliner.

Will one or the other prominent face stray to Delay Sports? It certainly cannot be ruled out, after all, Nerlich has personally tried to transfer a former Bundesliga star.

“We still have one place left. We can’t offer you a million, but a cool blonde after the game and men with ambition,” joked the 25-year-old in a stream last September towards striker Max Kruse. The former German national player had fallen out of favor with VfL Wolfsburg a few weeks earlier and his sporting career has been on hold ever since.

Kruse himself seems to be quite taken with the idea, but there hasn’t been an official commitment yet. Earlier this year, Nerlich revealed in a stream that he had received a message in which the now 35-year-old forward expressed his interest in a trial session.

Whatever Kruse decides, the former professional from city rival Union would look good on Delay Sports.

Elias Nerlich: Delay Sports founder keeps his fingers crossed for Hertha BSC & BVB

In addition to his own club, Nerlich is also closely following developments at one of his former employers: Hertha BSC. From 2018 to 2021 he competed for the “Alte Dame” as an e-sportsman in the Virtual Bundesliga and also worked there as a content creator.

The current table situation is “very difficult” for Hertha, says Nerlich, but the change on the sidelines gives him courage: “I think Pal (Dardai; Anm. d. Red.) is right for the job. He fits in with Hertha, I always thought it was really good with him.”

After eleven years of Munich dominance, the 25-year-old also advocates a change at the top of the Bundesliga: “I would think it would be cooler if we had a new German champion again,” reveals Nerlich with a mischievous grin: “I wish Dortmund a lot Happiness.”