Energie Cottbus signs Leonardo Bittencourt – return to the Lusatia after 14 years

Cottbus coach Claus-Dieter Wollitz, who is now in his third stint at Energie, was delighted about the transfer. "That with our promotion a return has now become a reality – that is a wonderful story in football for the club, for him, and also for us," said Wollitz. The coach also pointed to their shared past: "I brought him into the professional squad back then against other opinions and let him play. His path since then says it all."

Stations of a journeyman career in professional football

In the summer of 2012, Bittencourt moved from Cottbus to Borussia Dortmund. "He subsequently also played for Hannover 96, 1. FC Köln, and Hoffenheim," the club summarized the further stations. Most recently, the technically gifted midfielder played for Werder Bremen, but his expiring contract was not extended. Bittencourt had already announced at the end of last year that he would let his contract at the Weser, which ran until June 2026, expire. In the spring, he had been linked with moves to Union Berlin and FC Schalke 04, among others.

At Bremen, Bittencourt had been active since 2019 and made 189 competitive appearances during that time, in which he was involved as a scorer or provider 36 times. In total, the midfielder has 304 Bundesliga appearances and 32 goals. With the signing, he returns to the Lusatia on a free transfer after 14 years, but forgoes part of his salary to make the move to the promoted side financially possible.

Significance for the Lusatians' squad

At Energie Cottbus, Bittencourt is the second new signing of the current transfer window after Christian Kinsombi. Squad planner Maniyel Nergiz underscored the significance of the transfer: "With Leonardo Bittencourt, our team gets a down-to-earth lad with a Cottbus identity, an enormous amount of Bundesliga experience, and leadership quality. We thank everyone involved for making this transfer possible."

The move also has a biographical dimension: Bittencourt's father Franklin is a club legend in Cottbus and played for the Lusatians between 1998 and 2003, scoring 22 goals in 89 appearances. Back in December 2025, Wollitz had still described return speculation as "utopian," but at the same time emphasized: "So if Leo can really imagine ending his career with us, he is welcome at any time. I would even pick him up by car. That would save him travel costs, and I would treat him and his family to a warm meal twice a day. Otherwise, though, I think it will be financially complicated. And Leo certainly has other options to play at a high level."

Most recently, the "Bild" newspaper had reported the impending transfer shortly before the official confirmation. Energie Cottbus was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga in the past season and is now preparing for the coming season in the second tier with the prominent new signing. Wollitz spoke of a "wonderful story in football" – and a return that, in this form, would probably not have come about without the promotion.