Sportfreunde Lotte

VfL Sportfreunde Lotte is a German association football club from Lotte, North Rhine-Westphalia. The football team is part of a sports club with approximately 1400 members and departments for handball, walking, gymnastics, and swimming, as well as other activities.

VfL Sportfreunde Lotte

Full name	Verein für Laufspiele Sportfreunde Lotte e.V. von 1929
Nickname(s)	Blau-Weiß
Founded	1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Ground	Stadion am Lotter Kreuz
Capacity	10,059
Chairman	Hans-Ulrich Saatkamp
Manager	Imke Wübbenhorst
League	Regionalliga West (IV)
2023–24	Oberliga Westfalen (V), 1st (promoted)
Website	http://www.sf-lotte.de/
Home colours Away colours

History

The association was established as the gymnastics club Turnverein Lotte in 1929. After World War II the club was re-established as VfL Sportfreunde Lotte on 9 February 1946 and was built around football and handball departments.

Historical chart of Sportfreunde Lotte league performance

Lotte reached the Verbandsliga Westfalen (V) in 1996 and after a title there in 2004 were promoted to the Oberliga Westfalen (IV), later Regionalliga West. They won that league in 2012–13 but lost the promotion play-off to RB Leipzig. In 2013–14, the club finished in second place. They won the Regionalliga West once more in 2015–16 and, after defeating Waldhof Mannheim in the play-off, earned promotion to the 3. Liga for the first time.^[1] On 18 May 2019, they were relegated back to the Regionalliga.^[2]

Sportfreunde plays their home matches in the Frimo Stadion (formerly the Sportpark am Lotter Kreuz) which holds 10,059 spectators.

Honours

The club's honours:

• Regionalliga West (IV)
  • Champions: 2013, 2016
• Oberliga Westfalen (V)
  • Champions: 2024
• Verbandsliga Westfalen (V)
  • Champions: 2004
• Landesliga Westfalen
  • Champions: 1996
• Bezirksliga Westfalen
  • Champions: 1989
• Westphalia Cup
  • Winners: 2015

Players

Current squad

As of 15 January 2025^[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  GER Steffen Westphal 4 MF  GER Philip Fontein 5 DF  GER Jeff Mensah 6 MF  GER Niklas Determann 7 DF  GER Andreas Wiegel 8 DF  GER Johannes Sabah 9 FW  GER Mats Facklam 10 MF  GER Fatlum Elezi 11 FW  GER Burinyuy Nyuydine 12 GK  GER Laurenz Beckemeyer 15 DF  CRO Hans-Juraj Hartmann 16 MF  GER Nico Thier 17 MF  KOS Kamer Krasniqi 19 DF  GER Leonel Brodersen

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 FW  USA Marc Heider 21 MF  GER Jan Wellers 22 DF  GER Denis Milic 24 MF  GER Fatih Ufuk 25 DF  GER Nico Lübke 27 MF  GER Elario Ghassan 28 FW  GER Leon Demaj 29 FW  GER Samuel Owusu Addai 31 FW  GER Kevin Holzweiler 37 DF  GER Albin Thaqi 39 MF  GER Florian Wendt 44 GK  GER Luis Hillemeier 77 FW  GER Vincent Schaub

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Notable coaches

• Manfred Wölpper (2008)
• Maik Walpurgis (2008–2013)