Europa League qualifiers:

Watch out, a second division team – but Rapid is ready

Wisla will probably overcome the hurdle of KF Lapi, Rapid are breaking down their tents in the training camp today.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures, EPA)

Rapid's sporting director Katzer brought in eight new players and made a big transfer profit.Wisla Krakow will probably be the first hurdle on the way to the group stage.The green and white EURO kickers start on Monday.

"You have to take risks to a certain extent, otherwise you can't win," says Markus Katzer. "But we haven't leaned too far out of the window." Rapids' sporting director has landed eight new players this summer. The latest to arrive was Dion Beljo, the Croatian on loan from Augsburg. With an option to buy. Is that affordable? "Otherwise I wouldn't have done it," emphasizes Katzer. "We invested with foresight."

Because they agreed with the players before Rapid could calculate with sales. Ultimately, however, the transfers of Kühn, Querfeld and Mayulu generated a plus of almost ten million euros in the last six months, only Grüll was lost for free. The sporting director has actually turned everything around in the last 13 months - or as he puts it: "We were able to put together a good package."

Rapids' Markus Katzer

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Full house against Milan
The next test of form comes today at the end of the camp against Debreceni (Hausmanning, 4.30pm). On Monday, EURO Rapids players Hedl, Seidl and Hungarian Bolla are expected to take part in performance tests at the training center in Prater. The squad will then be complete. The injured Druijf and Zimmermann can only be put on the market in the winter when the recently loaned strikers are fit. "We're ready for the summer," confirms Katzer. "Subject to the hoped-for group stage." And Wisla Krakow will probably be waiting for them in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. The Poles beat KF Lapi (Kos) 2:0 in the first leg. Video analyst Daniel Schmitt spied on site for Rapid.

"Over 20,000 fans, great atmosphere, it will be a cool game," says Rapid coach Robert Klauß, who is now also expecting Wisla as an opponent. A traditional club, Polish cup winners - but beware, currently only a second division team. But nobody in Hütteldorf is thinking of a repeat of the Vaduz defeat in 2022. There's hardly anyone left, either on or off the pitch. Where Katzer detects euphoria again. There are only a few tickets left for Rapid's anniversary game against AC Milan on July 20.