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Rapid Vienna's players after the city derby against Austria Vienna

Photo: Philipp Brem / GEPA pictures / IMAGO

After the offensive and homophobic statements following the city derby against Austria Vienna, extensive penalties were imposed against Rapid Vienna and the players involved around ex-Schalke player Guido Burgstaller.

Accordingly, Rapid receives a deduction of three points.

However, the sentence is suspended until 2026.

The league announced this.

“The Austrian Football Bundesliga is committed to the fight against discrimination of all kinds,” it said in a statement.

»The content of the videos is in no way consistent with the values ​​that football as a whole and the Bundesliga in particular stand for.

Both SK Rapid and the players have credibly stated that they are very sorry for the events," it continued.

Penalties against players and officials

Senate 1 of the Austrian Bundesliga also imposed bans on several players and officials.

Managing director Steffen Hofmann received a two-month suspension, and assistant coach Stefan Kulovits even had to stay away from the game for three months.

One month of each is suspended.

Five days before the decisive game at Austria Klagenfurt on the last day of the main round, Rapid also has to do without five players involved.

Burgstaller and Marco Grüll, who moved to Werder Bremen in the summer, were banned for three games for discrimination, while Thorsten Schick has to watch two games.

There will be three more games on probation until 2026.

Central defender Maximilian Hofmann and goalkeeper Niklas Hedl were each banned from one game and suspended from another for violating the spirit of fair play.

All actors involved must also take part in three workshops in schools on the topic of discrimination within a year.

Rapid defeated city rivals Austria on February 25th for the first time since 2019 (3-0).

Afterwards, coach Robert Klauß's team celebrated extensively in front of the home fans - and made several mistakes, as documented by numerous video recordings.

Among other things, managing director Hofmann insulted the guests over a megaphone, and Burgstaller's team sang homophobic chants.

The club announced on Tuesday that it would protest against the suspensions.

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