In the 3rd division, international transfers are made from time to time. This is also the case with 1. FC Saarbrücken and FC Hansa Rostock.
Rot-Weiss Essen were also able to present an international transfer after a long time. Robbie D’Haese is moving from the insolvent second division club KV Oostende from Belgium to Essen in the 3rd division.
RWE’s league rivals 1. FC Saarbrücken and Hansa Rostock have now made further international transfers.
The 25-year-old Sven Sonnenberg is moving from Dutch first division club Heracles Almelo to Saarbrücken. The 1.94 meter tall central defender made 25 appearances in the Netherlands’ top division last season. Born in Berlin, he previously played for Hansa Rostock and gained experience in 62 third division matches. Sonnenberg was mainly trained at the youth training center of 1. FC Köln.
“We wanted to broaden our defensive line-up once again. With Sven, we are getting a tall defender with a strong header who has already gained a lot of experience despite his young age,” said FCS sporting director Jürgen Luginger.
“I’ve been able to gain valuable experience abroad in recent years. But now I’m happy that I can return to Germany. FCS has shown me clear prospects and the club has big plans. That’s why I made a conscious decision to move to Saarbrücken,” added Sonnenberg.
In my two years in Germany at Waldhof Mannheim, I had already heard a lot about Hansa Rostock.
Adrien Lebeau
His ex-club Hansa Rostock meanwhile signed a player from France. The relegated second division club has strengthened its squad with the signing of 24-year-old Frenchman Adrien Lebeau. The attacking midfielder is moving to Rostock from French first division club Stade Brest.
“Adrien is flexible in attack and can play on both wings as well as in the center. He has great pace, good technique, a strong one-on-one and is able to create good playful solutions. With Stade Brest and RC Strasbourg, he has already gained experience in the French Ligue 1 and thus in one of the top 5 leagues in Europe. He is also familiar with soccer in the 3rd division thanks to his time at Waldhof Mannheim,” says Amir Shapourzadeh, Rostock’s sporting director.
Adrien Lebeau can look back on a total of 9 appearances in the French first division for Stade Brest and RC Strasbourg. He also appeared in 39 third division matches (5 goals) and two DFB Cup matches for Waldhof Mannheim between 2021 and 2023.
“During my two years in Germany with Waldhof Mannheim, I had already heard a lot about Hansa Rostock. These initial positive impressions were confirmed when I spoke to Alexander Rossipal and Amaury Bischoff, who had nothing but good things to say about the club, the stadium, the conditions and the great support from the fans. However, the very good discussions with Amir Shapourzadeh and Bernd Hollerbach were also decisive for me. I’m therefore delighted to now be able to play for Hansa,” explained Lebeau.