When Felix Magath comes to congratulate, it's likely that the jubilee has something to do with football. This was the case on the 70th birthday of Frank Holzer last year. Holzer, who leads the Saarland pharmaceutical company Ursapharm alongside his son Dominik, once played football with Magath at 1. FC Saarbrücken. According to sports experts of that time, both were instrumental in securing the promotion to the Bundesliga for the Saarland club in the mid-1970s, which has recently made headlines with its victories against Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt. Although the two footballers later parted ways with Saarbrücken, they remained friends – as evidenced by Magath's birthday visit.

Today, Holzer is making waves less as a footballer and more as a football financier. With Ursapharm in the background, he has provided the small Saarland club SV Elversberg with the financial cushion and structures needed to make its way into professional football. Holzer took over Ursapharm from his father after a knee injury ended his professional career in 1980. Prior to that, the forward, who had played for Saarbrücken and Eintracht Braunschweig, pursued a degree in pharmacy alongside his athletic career. Today, Ursapharm, which primarily offers eye medicines, is a conglomerate with around 250 million euros in revenue (2020). The company is mostly owned by the Holzer family.

After returning from Braunschweig to the Saarland, the home-loving Holzer soon became involved with SV Elversberg, despite having previously played for rival club DJK Elversberg. "The club had problems, and I took over as chairman in 1990, revitalizing it. And then we steadily climbed up," Holzer, who temporarily served as a coach for the club, humbly stated in an interview.

Last year, Elversberg achieved promotion to the 2. Bundesliga. Initially, television commentators talked a lot about the village club, the jubilant rural population, and the smallest stadium in the league. Since the team has solidified its place in the middle of the league table and has upset some of the big clubs, the mocking comments have ceased. The latest activities of the club, largely driven by Holzer, indicate that Elversberg, which recently celebrated a victory in the derby against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, aims to establish itself in Bundesliga territory for the long term: The Ursapharm Stadium continues to be expanded, and a training center for professional players is currently being built in St. Ingbert, the neighboring municipality of Elversberg. Holzer has since withdrawn to the supervisory board of Elversberg, with his son Dominik serving as the club's president.

However, the Holzer family is also working on creating a vibrant atmosphere for football fans and other visitors to the Saarland. Through the Place2b group, of which the family is the main investor, a gastronomic empire has been gradually built – primarily in St. Ingbert and the state capital Saarbrücken, but also in the tranquil Elversberg. The group has a strong desire for expansion – and apparently, ambitions: In early 2023, Michelin-starred chef Martin Stopp joined. While he awaits the renovation of his gourmet restaurant in St. Ingbert, he cooks in Elversberg – not far from the football stadium at the Kaiserlinde.

And Magath? He has nothing but praise for his old friend from their footballing days. "Frank had this perseverance because he's from here and because it's his club. And he wasn't thrown off course by setbacks, he just kept going. That's what sets him apart, what's extraordinary," notes the longtime Bundesliga coach in the birthday film. But Holzer hasn't reached his goal yet with football and SV Elversberg. In a portrait by Saarländischer Rundfunk for his 70th birthday, he stated: "At the age of 60, we managed to get promoted to the 3rd division." For his 70th birthday, they made it to the 2nd division. "And then we'll see," says Holzer, laughing.