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Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of Marcel Lotka from Hertha BSC on a contract until 2024. The 20-year-old will join the Bundesliga side at the end of the season when his contract with Hertha expires.
Lotka will initially play for Borussia Dortmund’s U23 team.
Duisburg-born debutant goalkeeper Lotka was one of Hertha BSC’s few glimmers of hope in their 0-3 defeat to SC Freiburg at the weekend.
Lotka who is goalkeeper number five in the pecking order for the Berliners will have been pleased to have made his Bundesliga debut despite the sobering defeat for more reasons than one.
“He was a real bright spot in the game on Saturday,” coach Tayfun Korkut extolled the young keeper’s virtues after the game.
However far the praise went the circumstances that led to the debut were accompanied by more than a pinch of luck for the 1.91m keeper.
Hertha’s first-choice keeper Alexander Schwolow is currently out with a Covid-19 infection. Danish second-choice keeper Oliver Christensen is off with a knee injury. Former number one Rune Jarstein is also currently with ongoing muscular problems.
So with Nils Körber chosen for the second team, the second-team’s reserve keeper Lotka, who has dual Polish-German citizenship, got the nod to make his first-team debut on Saturday.
The new BVB keeper comes with a strong recommendation, his agent is Florian Kringe who between 2000-2012 played for BVB, winning the title in 2011 and the double in 2012.
The former Germany U21 international Kringe: “Marcel is a top talent, he has great ability and what I like is he has great leadership skills and can also get loud on the pitch.
“BVB are getting a top talent, Marcel brings a lot to the table that a good goalkeeper needs: Size, athleticism and fast reactions on the line and he above all potential to improve further still.”
The prospects with BVB II seem to also be good for Lotka, BVB U23 current first choice keeper Germany U20 international Luca Unbehaun is the first team’s third-choice keeper and has recently renewed his contract for one more year.
