There have been some personnel changes at Sportfreunde Lotte. The ninth-place team in the Regionalliga West is bolstering its midfield, while a forward is being sent on loan.

Sportfreunde Lotte has announced its first winter signing. Midfielder Max Ritter will bolster the Blue-and-Whites’ offense in the second half of the season. He has initially signed a contract through the summer and will therefore be available for the remainder of the season.

The 21-year-old is no stranger to Lotter Kreuz. In fact, Ritter already wore the SFL jersey during the 2023–24 season and played a key role in the team’s promotion to the Regionalliga West at that time, scoring a total of eight goals.

Following his successful stint in Lotte, Ritter then moved to SC Paderborn, where he appeared in a total of 17 matches for the U23 team in the Regionalliga West. The 1.75-meter-tall midfielder was developed, among other places, in the youth academy of Hannover 96 and in the youth ranks of VfL Osnabrück.

Now, the hard-working and creative midfielder is returning to the Sportfreunde, where he has already impressed with his versatility, speed, and strong attacking instincts. In total, Ritter played 31 competitive matches (eight goals, five assists) for Lotte, developing into a key player in the process.

At the same time, forward Ruwen Albrecht will be loaned to 1. FC Germania Egestorf/Langreder in the Oberliga Niedersachsen for the second half of the season to gain valuable playing experience. The 19-year-old joined Sportfreunde in the summer, has already scored a goal in the Westfalen Cup, and made a brief appearance in the Regionalliga.

Fabian Lübbers’ team went into the winter break early, as the match against bottom-of-the-table SSVg Velbert—which was originally scheduled for last Friday—had to be canceled due to weather conditions. The game is scheduled to be rescheduled for January 16, 2026 (7 p.m.). This means the remainder of the season for the Lotter—who are spending the winter break in ninth place in the standings—will begin a week earlier than planned.