Nina Räcke (born 17 September 2001) is a German footballer who plays as a centre-back for Frauen-Bundesliga club Hamburger SV. She has previously played for RB Leipzig, SGS Essen, and VfL Wolfsburg II.
Youth career Räcke started playing football as a child, often with her two brothers, Moritz and Till. For 8 years, she played for the various youth teams of SV Theeßen before plying her trade as a member of . With both clubs, she was the only girl. From 2015 to 2018, Räcke attended a sports boarding school in Magdeburg and played for Magdeburger FFC.
Club career From 2018 to 2020, Räcke played for VfL Wolfsburg's second team in the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga. She made 36 total appearances for the club across a two-year span.
At age 18, Räcke accomplished a personal dream of hers and moved up to the German first division for the first time; She signed a multi-year contract with SGS Essen on 2 April 2020. She spent three years with the club and accumulated ample playing time, garnering a total of 52 appearances. However, in the few months leading up to her departure, Räcke found herself benched in favor of Markus Högner's preferred centre-back duo of Jacqueline Meißner and Lena Ostermeier. Upon the expiry of her contract, she departed from the club in search of a new challenge.
Räcke joined the newly-promoted RB Leipzig in April 2023. In her first year, she helped the club reach the DFB-Pokal round of 16, where they faced TSG Hoffenheim; Räcke had previously expressed disappointment that the match had not been broadcast or televised. She finished her first campaign with Leipzig having appeared in 15 league matches. In the 2024–25 season, Räcke was not able to secure a starting role and ended up only starting in one of her 14 appearances. When the 2025 summer transfer window arrived, Räcke departed from RB Leipzig; although Räcke's contract lasted another year, Leipzig terminated her deal and rendered her free to leave.
On 15 May 2025, Räcke signed a two-year contract with Hamburger SV. She was the club's first signing of the summer as Hamburger SV prepared to return to the Frauen-Bundesliga after 13 years in lower leagues. It is Räcke's second time in a row signing with a team after its promotion to the German top-flight.
International career Räcke has previously played for the Germany under-19 national team. She made her debut for the squad in 2020, participating in a 2–0 defeat to Iceland.
Personal life Räcke has studied energy and water management since her time at SGS Essen. While playing for RB Leipzig, she split her time between football and her studies at ; Räcke often attended an internship at a local wastewater treatment plant on the same days as Leipzig trainings.
Career statistics
Club
+Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsVfL Wolfsburg II2018–192. Frauen-Bundesliga220—2202019–20141—141Total36100361SGS Essen2020–21Frauen-Bundesliga190001902021–22191302212022–2314020160Total52150571RB Leipzig2023–24Frauen-Bundesliga150201702024–2514010150Total29030320Hamburger SV2025–26Frauen-Bundesliga130201502026–27Frauen-Bundesliga000000Total13020150Career total13021001402
References
External links