Nicolai Rapp

Nicolai Rapp came through the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim academy, having joined from FC Freya Limbach as a boy, and won the German U19 championship with the club in 2014 before moving up to the reserve side. A loan spell took him to SpVgg Greuther Fürth and its reserve team in the 2016–2017 season, and in the summer of 2017 he made his first senior move for a fee, joining FC Erzgebirge Aue.

Union Berlin paid for him in January 2019, and in July 2021 Werder Bremen brought him in for a further fee. He was part of the Werder squad that won promotion to the Bundesliga in 2022, though a thigh and adductor injury picked up in October of that year proved a persistent problem. A loan to 1. FC Kaiserslautern followed in January 2023, and when his contract at Werder Bremen ran out, he joined Karlsruher SC on a free transfer in January 2024.

At international level, Rapp's involvement came early and briefly: two caps for Germany's U16 side in 2011 and one more for the U18s in 2014, with no call-up since to the senior team.

After his time at Karlsruher SC, Rapp moved on again in July 2026, signing for Dynamo Dresden on a free transfer and putting his name to a three-year contract. His early period there brought some disciplinary friction, with yellow cards a recurring theme through 2026 as he settled into the side.