Sportfreunde Lotte, leaders of the Oberliga Westfalen, have made a winter transfer. And some of their rivals have also made moves.

Soccer will no longer be played in the Oberliga Westfalen this calendar year, with the ball not rolling again until next February. But even during the winter break, things remain exciting, as the transfer period begins on January 1.

Sportfreunde Lotte have already announced one departure recently. The league leaders, who have performed strongly so far, will no longer be able to count on Niklas Kiene in the second half of the season. The 32-year-old central defender wants to join another club as a playing assistant coach.

Where exactly is not yet known. Sportfreunde have merely bid farewell to Kiene “heading north”. The defender had only come from there before the current season – from the Lower Saxony Oberliga club BSV Rehden. Kiene subsequently played eight times for Lotte, but only made one brief appearance in the last nine matchdays.

TuS Bövinghausen are making an unusually large personnel change this winter. The club is far away from its promotion target and is therefore parting with players by the dozen.