Energie Cottbus secures striker Erik Engelhardt!

Energie Cottbus secures striker Erik Engelhardt!

In a surprising change, the third division soccer team Energie Cottbus strengthens its squad with striker Erik Engelhardt, who returns from league competitor VfL Osnabrück. The announcement was made on Thursday, whereby the transfer fee between the two clubs was agreed not to disclose. The 26-year-old Engelhardt had already played for Cottbus in the 2021/22 season and at that time achieved impressive 19 goals and 14 templates in 34 regional league games. After moving to Osnabrück, he remained strong and contributed significantly to the 2nd league with 19 scorer points.

The Cottbus leadership had apparently seen an urgent need for reinforcement on the offensive. President Sebastian Lemke said that the successful season and the high number of spectators could make the decision easier to realize the coach and player's wish. Trainer Claus-Dieter Wollitz also emphasized the importance of the obligation and praised the sporting and human qualities of Engelhardt. This will be there at the start of the training session on Friday and will be equipped against Arminia Bielefeld for the first game after the winter break on January 18, like rbb24 reported .

Engelhardt's return and the reasons for the change

The decision to change was also influenced by the circumstances at VfL Osnabrück. Managing Director Dr. Michael Welling explained that the club wants to rely on players who are willing to give everything for relegation. However, Engelhardt and his advisors would not have agreed to join this strategy. This resulted in negotiations with Energie Cottbus, which were ready to accept the conditions formulated by VfL. Engelhardt had only scored two goals in the current third division season, which makes his return to Cottbus all the more important because it offers him the opportunity to demonstrate his potential again, such as