"Non-aggression pact"

Pacult: “Pushing the ball around was bizarre, but logical”

Peter Pacult

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

One draw, two winners: after the 1-1 draw between Austria Klagenfurt and Rapid, both clubs had reason to celebrate on Sunday. And yet there was still a stale aftertaste, because after the hosts equalized in the 73rd minute, a non-aggression pact came into force. Klagenfurt coach Peter Pacult commented: "The ball shuffling in the final minutes was bizarre, but somehow logical." 

The fear of conceding another goal and thus ending up in the qualifying group was too great, said both coaches after the final whistle. "It was minimalist today. But at the end of the day, we've qualified for the championship group. That's what counts," emphasized Rapids' Robert Klauß.

"You can't be angry with us"
Klagenfurt's defensive boss Thorsten Mahrer asked for understanding. "We came back into the game very late and know that one point is enough - you can't be angry with us. We showed 80 minutes of a very open game in which it went back and forth," the defender explained on Sky. Rapids central defender Leo Querfeld insisted that they had played to win. "The aim was to get three points. After the equalizer, the point was important for both teams, but I personally prefer to win."

Querfeld youngest Rapid captain
In the absence of the suspended Guido Burgstaller, Maximilian Hofmann and Marco Grüll, Querfeld led the Green-Whites onto the pitch and, at 20 years, two months and 19 days, became the youngest captain in the club's history. "That made me extremely proud, I've dreamed of that since I was a little boy," said Querfeld, who has been with Rapid since 2012.

Leopold Querfeld with the Rapid captain's armband

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The ÖFB U21 team player and his colleagues had Niklas Hedl to thank for preventing them from falling below the line. The goalkeeper had only been cleared to play in the Klagenfurt match on Friday because the protest committee reduced his ban following the scandal in the Vienna derby. In Klagenfurt, the 22-year-old saved Green-White from conceding three goals in the first half. "We should have led by one or two goals before the break," said Pacult.

However, the missed chances were easy for the last Rapid coach to cope with in view of their third successive appearance in the Champions League. Now the Klagenfurt team's aim is to avoid finishing last in the top play-off, as they have done in the past two years. "This is the third time we've been up there, so we don't want to finish sixth for the third time. We've seen that we can hold our own against anyone," explained midfielder Christopher Cvetko.

Rapid start against LASK
The Carinthians can prove this in their first championship group match next Sunday at home against Sturm Graz. The upper play-off will open on Friday with Rapid's home match against LASK. The Hütteldorfer will then play three away games, including the Cup, before their next appearance at the Allianz Stadium on April 14 against Austria Klagenfurt.