The squad restructuring at SG Wattenscheid 09 continues this winter. The fifth player is now leaving the Lohrheide and moving to Essen.
It wasn’t particularly quiet and contemplative at SG Wattenscheid 09 around Christmas and the turn of the year.
After all, the squad had to be properly rebuilt in order to stay in the Oberliga Westfalen. And that is exactly what head coach Engin Yavuzaslan and sporting director Hartmut Fahnenstich did.
With Umut Yilidz, Niklas Lübcke, Nico Thier (all TuS Bövinghausen) and Maurice Haar (KFC Uerdingen), the bottom team in the Oberliga Westfalen has already made four new signings.
Meanwhile, goalkeepers Lars Holm and Ahmed Kulalic as well as defensive midfielder Martins Williams and attacking player Karoj Sindi have terminated their contracts at the Lohrheide. These will not be the last departures. According to RS-Infos, Blerton Muharremi and Yutaro Ichimura have also been informed that they will no longer play a role under coach Yavuzaslan.
Nico Lucas moves to the Uhlenkrug in Essen
The situation was somewhat different for Nico Lucas. The 26-year-old was not one of the players who were advised to make a winter switch. However, according to our information, Lucas proactively sought talks with the sporting management. He wanted to leave Wattenscheid and is doing so.
Forecasting has learned that the midfielder, who most recently led Wattenscheid onto the pitch as captain, is moving to ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen in the Oberliga Niederrhein. Official confirmation from the clubs is expected shortly. Lucas had several offers from the Oberliga and Regionalliga, but ultimately decided to return to his home town.
With Lucas, ETB coach Damian Apfeld is getting an experienced man. Lucas has played a total of 124 games in the Regionalliga West and 40 appearances in the Oberliga Westfalen. He is regarded as a real leader and role model. The son of Jürgen Lucas, former U19 coach and sporting director at Rot-Weiss Essen, has also been under contract with South-West regional league club VfR Aalen and Regionalliga West representative Rot Weiss Ahlen in addition to RWE and Wattenscheid. Now his first stop in the Oberliga Niederrhein is at ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen