After derby scandal

Rapid starts the new season with minus points

Rapid Vienna have to start the coming season with two minus points.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Senate 1 of the Austrian Football League met on Tuesday to discuss the security-related incidents at the Vienna derby and decided that Rapid will start the coming 2024/25 season with two minus points. There will also be a fine. Rapid wants to "take further legal action". 

Senate 1 stated in a press release: "The conditional deduction of one point imposed by the protest committee on 29.02.2024 will be revoked and a further unconditional deduction of one point will be imposed. This deduction of a total of two points applies to the upcoming 2024/25 season." The Hütteldorfer thus start the new season with two minus points.

Rapid with first statement
The background is the incidents at the Vienna derby at the end of February. The statement refers to the breach of security, misuse of pyrotechnics and discriminatory fan chants. There is also a fine of 60,000 euros (20,000 euros of which is conditional upon fulfillment of a requirement: structural changes to a stadium gate)

The club issued the following statement: "SK Rapid takes note of this first-instance decision, which, if confirmed, would massively interfere with the sporting competition, for the time being and will take further legal action. Beyond that, SK Rapid will not comment on this decision until further notice."

Senate 1 also dealt with a newly surfaced video on Tuesday, which shows goalkeeper Niklas Hedl and attacking player Marco Grüll, among others, loudly insulting the district of Favoriten, home of city rivals Austria, with chants in the VIP club.

Fine for Austria
A fine of 60,000 euros was also imposed on Austria Wien for "misuse of pyrotechnic objects". It was classified as a "first serious incident".

Hütteldorfer had defeated Austria 3-0 on February 25 and won a home derby for the first time in ten years. In the days that followed, disturbing videos emerged that had been recorded during the victory celebrations. First, it became public that managing director Hofmann lashed out at the city rivals. Hours later, a recording showed and heard Kulovits, Burgstaller, Grüll, Schick, Hofmann and Hedl chanting insulting and sometimes homophobic chants against Austria.