Derby scandal

Rapid announces sanctions after scandalous derby

The derby riots will result in several sanctions.

(Bild: APA/EDGAR SCHÜTZ)

Rapid and Austria have announced stadium bans following the incidents surrounding the 343rd Vienna derby on Sunday against Austria (2:1).

Rapid said it was in close contact with the Bundesliga, security services and the relevant authorities such as the Vienna Provincial Police Directorate.

(Bild: GEPA)

Regarding the possible sanctions against rioters, the press release stated: "SK Rapid will impose the applicable sanctions on persons guilty of gross misconduct, in particular by setting off firecrackers, throwing pyrotechnic objects or storming the pitch. These are (a) the imposition of an indefinite ban from the Allianz Stadium, (b) the application for a nationwide stadium ban and, if necessary, the withdrawal of membership and annual ticket."

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"Basically a safe venue"
The Hütteldorfer also emphasized that they had welcomed almost 125,000 spectators to the Allianz Stadion before the derby this season, proving "that the home ground of SK Rapid is fundamentally a safe venue. It is therefore all the more regrettable that these incidents occurred late on Sunday afternoon and, above all, that fireworks and firecrackers were able to get into the guest sector of the stadium and were fired. How this happened despite a large number of security personnel and law enforcement officers is also an important part of coming to terms with the events."

Austria's statement followed a few hours later. "Those clearly identifiable persons who set off and threw firecrackers and other dangerous objects will be banned from the Generali-Arena for life and an Austria-wide stadium ban will be applied for. Furthermore, all persons who left the away block and were actively involved in scuffles on the pitch will also be banned from the stadium for life and a stadium ban will be applied for," the team from Favoritner explained.

Gollowitzer: "Clear need for action"
Club president Kurt Gollowitzer announced that there was a "clear need for action to strictly counter the increasingly frequent riots in derbies and will act with the utmost consistency. Scenes such as those that took place on Sunday evening have no place in a soccer stadium. The general development of our fan scene in recent years is in clear contradiction to the incidents of the last derbies - there is a great need to come to terms with this."

Austria fan scene: "Completely out of control"
Austria's active fan scene had already reacted beforehand. In a statement on Monday, they were quite self-critical and wrote of a "completely out of control use of tracer bullets, firecrackers and Bengal flares". It also stated: "Already in Ober St. Veit, there were clear announcements from the pre-game singers to refrain from using fireworks, after misuse had already been detected in the subway stations. During the match, the situation was always confusing; it was not possible to determine where the firecrackers were coming from and therefore it was not possible to take action against those who threw them."

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Throwing pyrotechnics of various kinds in the stadium was "still a clear no-go", the letter read. "There are families with children and women both in the visitors' section and in the main stand, who must never be the target of any danger."