Team boss Rangnick:

“I don’t tolerate that in my team!”

ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick had clear words for the Rapid trio, who had caused a stir with homophobic chants.(Bild: GEPA, youtube)

ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick will not play the Rapid trio who caused a stir with homophobic chants after the Vienna derby in the next two international friendly matches. "I don't tolerate that in my team," said the 65-year-old German, explaining his decision not to nominate Niklas Hedl, Guido Burgstaller and Marco Grüll.

The three Rapid professionals are not even on the call-up list for the two European Championship tests in Bratislava against Slovakia (March 23) and in Vienna against Turkey (March 26). "I've looked at all the videos in circulation. The boys got in touch by phone and apologized. But in this case, of course, I also expect the boys to deal with this issue seriously. And also to understand what it means for people when they are publicly insulted and discriminated against in such a way. That's something I don't tolerate in my team, where I'm a coach," said Rangnick.

"Whether it's at the club or in the national team. Everything we stand for with the national team and have stood for in the past is diametrically opposed to the other end of the value scale. I also told the boys that on the phone."

"You can say a lot"

Rapid captain Burgstaller made a brief comeback in ÖFB kit last year after retiring from the team in 2019. Hedl is currently the fourth or fifth goalkeeper. Grüll would probably have had the best chance of making the squad. Has the scandal killed the train for the European Championship? "That's the case for this course," said Rangnick, keeping the door open. "An apology as lip service, because they have now realized what kind of echo this has triggered, is no excuse. It's about the lads showing what they really think, where they really stand, also in terms of attitude. You can say a lot. The decisive factor is what the behavior looks like."

The ÖFB squad for the international double-header in March:

The Bundesliga suspended Burgstaller unconditionally for three matches after the incidents. Grüll's sanction was reduced to two games unconditionally following a Rapid appeal, while Hedl's was reduced to a conditional penalty. Rangnick did not want to evaluate the internal processing of the Hütteldorfer. However, he had watched all the videos with his coaching staff. In addition, further video material is currently appearing every two days. Rangnick: "But what I've seen so far is enough for me to make my decision."