Five players suspended

Rapid must travel to Klagenfurt with a “skeleton crew”

Hands in front of your face! Guido Burgstaller and his team-mates must answer for their misdemeanors.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

After the hammer suspension of five Rapid players, the Viennese team will have to make changes for their game against Austria Klagenfurt on Sunday. In the decisive match to secure a place in the championship group - where both clubs would theoretically be satisfied with a draw - 14 Bundesliga goals and the regular one-man keeper will be missing.

Onslaught on Klagenfurt! After the harsh punishments imposed by the Bundesliga following the derby scandal, Rapid Vienna fans are eagerly awaiting the final match at the Wörthersee Stadion! More than 5,000 tickets were already sold on Tuesday - and more are expected to be sold over the course of the week. 

Guido Burgstaller (left) and Marco Grüll will be missing in Klagenfurt

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

These players will be missing in Klagenfurt
In sporting terms, the Carinthians now have a supposedly easier task ahead of them. Because five Rapid players are suspended for at least this one match due to the measures.

• Guido Burgstaller: The player from Gmünd scored three times in five games against his Carinthian compatriots. Since his return - he was out with pubalgia in October - he has scored three times again for Rapid and, as captain, is the absolute leader for the Viennese side. When he was injured this season, he was replaced by Fally Mayulu - the most likely option for Sunday. 
• Marco Grüll: Top scorer with eight goals and a fixed starter in the offense. The 25-year-old will move to Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga in the summer. Like Burgstaller, he will be missing for the next three games. New winter signing Isak Jansson (Cartagena) is considered a potential candidate to replace him on the wing. 
• Thorsten Schick: The 33-year-old full-back did not play in the 3-2 win at Austria Klagenfurt in the fall and has not played a game since December due to an injury.
• Niklas Hedl: The Green-Whites' regular keeper has kept eight clean sheets in 21 games this year. He has conceded just two goals in the last four games. In the last four duels with Austria Klagenfurt, he has always had to make at least one save. He will probably be replaced by Paul Gartler. However, the 26-year-old has been suffering from a finger injury recently. Laurenz Orgler and Bernhard Unger are the two other keepers in the squad. 
• Max Hofmann: The central defender made twelve appearances for Rapid this season, but had to sit on the bench in the derby and against Lustenau.

Rapid protest against penalties
In the meantime, Rapid have spoken out in detail at a press conference on Tuesday. President Alexander Wrabetz announced a protest against the player penalties and the immediate implementation of the catalog of measures.

Peter Pacult, coach of Austria Klagenfurt

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Muzzle for Klagenfurt kickers
"I don't want to comment on this judgment. We are preparing for an important game and are only concentrating on ourselves," said Klagenfurt coach Peter Pacult, staying out of the issue.

The Austria players were also muzzled in the morning. Vice-captain Christopher Cvetko: "According to the club, we're not supposed to say anything about this topic, but we're looking forward to the match. It's a big final for us. We have everything in our own hands."