The captain of the U20 national side won the World Cup in 2014 with Germany and at Leverkusen she became a prospect for the full international side. She received her first call-up to the Germany squad in September 2015.
In the current campaign, the goalscoring defender and key player for the Werkself Women (three Bundesliga goals for Bayer 04), including her last-minute winner in the 2-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach, made a significant contribution to one of the two Leverkusen wins this season
Knaak, who is studying psychology at the University of Cologne, wants to give 100 per cent for Bayer 04 right to the end as she made clear: "I've always felt really at home at Leverkusen and I'm very grateful for my time here where I’ve developed really well in personal and sporting terms thanks to the great confidence shown by the club. I believe a new sporting challenge is the right step for my development and I'm looking forward to it. Until then we will give our all in our aim of staying up."
Head coach Thomas Obliers: "Her transfer is a loss for us both on a human and sporting level. Rebecca Knaak has always given 100 per cent for Bayer 04 and now she wants to take the next step so we wish you much success and, above all health, and fitness."
Linda Peckhaus, head of Women's football: "Rebecca Knaak joined us when she was very young and has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, above all on a personal level. We are proud that Rebecca, at the age of 20, is already one of the most experienced players who bears a lot of responsibility. We'd like to thank her for her commitment over the past four years and wish her every success in the future."
A special afternoon at the Bayer 04 Football Academy autumn camp: At the Liga 20 indoor football centre, in the shadow of the BayArena, two Werkself women’s team players led a training session. Loreen Bender and Selina Ostermeier not only offered the young players advice and support, but also got stuck in themselves.
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Once the final whistle was blown, it was time to take a deep breath. 2-0 down and a 5–2 win in the end. It was a nerve-wracking affair against FC Nürnberg in the second round of the 2026–27 DFB Pokal. Jonas Hofmann said – “We didn’t let our heads drop” – hitting the nail on the head. Indeed, it was clear the Werkself were not prepared to accept elimination from the DFB Pokal. So they went on to score. The Black and Reds made their presence felt with a goal just before half-time, followed by four more in the second half. Or, to put it another way: Edmond Tapsoba’s first Bayer 04 brace, a clinical penalty from Patrik Schick, yet another precision strike from Hofmann and a blistering volley from Lucas Vázquez. Each goal more beautiful than the last! After the match, head coach Carles Martínez praised his team’s commitment above all else and the fact that they never lost belief in themselves. The Werkself review.
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Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 5-2 win against 1. FC Nürnberg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal 2026/27...
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Bayer 04 came from 2-0 down to beat Nürnberg 5-2 in the second round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal on Wednesday night. Edmond Tapsoba’s double either side of half-time sparked the turnaround, before Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Lucas Vázquez ensured progress to the last 16 for the 2024 cup winners.
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