Wrabetz hopes

Rapid and the fans: rejection of “higher powers”

Rapid President Alexander Wrabetz wants to solve the fan issue himself as a club.

(Bild: APA)

"Higher powers usually don't manage that." Rapid President Alexander Wrabetz commented once again on the fan issue via "Sky" on Saturday ahead of the match against LASK. And pleaded for the club to get to grips with the problem itself.

The interview began with the question of whether Rapid should not hope that the legislator will get to grips with the fan problem (which, according to Wrabetz's most recent press conference, does not exist). Wrabetz thinks little of it. "We have shown that we have to be able to do it ourselves," said the top Rapid man: "Higher powers usually can't do it. We have drawn the consequences from the derby in the form of four derbies without away fans. That is the harshest possible sanction. We are aware that we are affecting many people who would like to support their team away from home without being involved in anything."

Modern fan culture
Wrabetz once again emphasized the three-part strategy consisting of sanctions, investigation and the development of a modern fan culture in which rivalry is permitted but hatred is completely out of place. And he wanted to do this together with the fan clubs. In any case, a meeting with the police headquarters is scheduled for next week to analyze the derby incidents and prevent images "that harm Rapid and the league" in the future.

"They can forget about it"
It remains to be seen how realistically all of this can be implemented. One person was not entirely convinced by Wrabetz's approach in his direct reply to Sky: expert Thomas Silberberger. According to the expert, "you can forget about the clubs being able to solve everything themselves without help from the legislator". He recommends taking a look at the Milan or Rome derby. There are "no stewards at the entrance to the fan sectors, but armed carabinieri. They ask every stadium visitor for ID, there is no full body search. And they don't care if there are still 10,000 fans outside the stadium at kick-off." Working groups would be of no use now, the issue had to be raised to a "higher level".