There have been some personnel changes at Sportfreunde Lotte. The ninth-placed team in the Regionalliga West is strengthening its midfield and also loaning out a striker.

Sportfreunde Lotte has presented its first new signing of the winter transfer window. Midfielder Max Ritter will strengthen the Blue and Whites’ offense in the second half of the season. He has initially signed a contract until the summer and will therefore be available for the second half of the season.

The 21-year-old is no stranger to Lotter Kreuz. Ritter already wore the SFL jersey in the 2023/24 season and played a key role in the club’s promotion to Regionalliga West at the time, scoring a total of eight goals. After his successful spell in Lotte, Ritter then moved to SC Paderborn, where he played a total of 17 games for the U23s in Regionalliga West. The 1.75-meter-tall midfielder trained in the youth department of Hannover 96 and in the youth team of VfL Osnabrück, among others. Now the strong-running and combination-strong midfielder is returning to Sportfreunde, where he has already impressed with his versatility, pace, and strong offensive drive. Ritter played a total of 31 competitive games (eight goals, five assists) for Lotte, developing into a key player in the process.

At the same time, striker Ruwen Albrecht will be loaned to 1. FC Germania Egestorf/Langreder in the Oberliga Niedersachsen for the second half of the season in order to gain important 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. The game is scheduled to be rescheduled for January 16, 2026 (7 p.m.). This means that the rest of the season for Lotter, who are ninth in the table, will begin a week earlier than planned.