SK Rapid Wien
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football club
Sportklub Rapid (Template:IPA), commonly known as Rapid Wien or Rapid Vienna in English, is an Austrian professional football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian championship titles (32), including the first title in the season 1911–12, as well as a German championship in 1941 during Nazi rule, although its cross-city arch rival FK Austria Vienna has won more combined league and cup titles. They share the honour of never being relegated with Austria Vienna. Rapid twice reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985 and 1996, losing on both occasions. Rapid’s most recent significant achievement in European competition was reaching the quarter-finals of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, where they were eliminated by Djurgårdens IF.
The club is often known as Die Grün-Weißen (The Green-Whites) for its team colours or as Hütteldorfer, in reference to the location of the Allianz Stadion, which is in Hütteldorf, part of the city's 14th district in Penzing.
History
The club was founded in 1897 as Erster Wiener Arbeiter-Fußball-Club (First Viennese Workers' Football Club). The team's original colours were red and blue, which are still often used in away matches. On 8 January 1899, the club was (thanks to Wilhelm Goldschmidt<ref>Memory Stone for Wilhelm Goldschmidt. Template:Webarchive. Template:In lang.</ref>), taking on its present name of Sportklub Rapid, following the example of Rapide Berlin. Wien or Vienna are commonly added when referring to the club but are not part of the official name. In 1904, the team colours were changed to green and white. The club won Austria's first ever national championship in 1911–12 by a single point,<ref>Austria 1911/12. Template:Webarchive. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (2 February 2005).</ref> and retained the title the following season.<ref>Austria 1912/13. Template:Webarchive. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (9 February 2005).</ref>
Between World Wars
Rapid became a dominant force during the years between the world wars, an era in which Austria was one of the leading football nations on the continent. It won its first hat-trick of titles from 1919 to 1921.<ref>Austria – List of Champions. Template:Webarchive. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (25 July 2013).</ref> After the annexation of Austria to Germany in 1938, Rapid joined the German football system, playing in the regional first division Gauliga Ostmark along with clubs such as Wacker Wien and Admira Vienna. Rapid would be the most successful of these clubs. They won the Tschammerpokal, predecessor of today's DFB-Pokal, in 1938 with a 3–1 victory over FSV Frankfurt, and followed that with a German Championship in 1941 by defeating Schalke 04, the most dominant German club of the era. The team was able to overcome a 3–0 Schalke lead to win the match 4–3.
Post-World War II
As the winners of the 1954–55 season, Rapid were Austria's entrant for the inaugural European Cup in the following season. They were drawn in the first round against PSV and opened with a 6–1 home victory, with Alfred Körner scoring a hat-trick. Despite losing the away leg 1–0, the club still advanced to a quarter-final, where they started with a 1–1 home draw against Milan before being defeated 7–2 in the away match at the San Siro to lose 8–3 on aggregate.<ref>UEFA Champions League 1955/56 – History – Rapid Wien –. [1]. UEFA.</ref>
Rapid's best performance in the European Cup came in the 1960–61 season when they reached the semi-final before being eliminated by eventual winners Benfica, 4–1 on aggregate. Previously, in the quarter-final the club required a replay to eliminate East German club Aue from the tournament after a 3–3 aggregate draw. The away goals rule would have seen Aue advance without needing the replay, held at the St Jakob Park in neutral Basel.<ref>UEFA Champions League 1960/61 – History – Rapid Wien –. [2]. UEFA.</ref>
The club was involved in a controversial episode in 1984 when they eliminated Celtic from the last 16 of the European Cup Winners' Cup. Celtic were leading 4–3 on aggregate with 14 minutes left in the match when Rapid conceded a penalty. As the Rapid players protested to the match officials, their defender Rudolf Weinhofer then fell to the ground and claimed to have been hit by a bottle thrown from the stands. However, television images clearly showed that a bottle was thrown onto the pitch and did not hit Weinhofer. The match finished 4–3, but Rapid appealed to UEFA for a replay, and both teams were fined. The replay appeal was turned down initially, but Rapid appealed for a second time. On this occasion, Rapid's fine was doubled but UEFA also stipulated the match be replayed Template:Convert from Celtic's ground. The game was held on 12 December 1984 at Old Trafford, Manchester, and Rapid won 1–0 through a Peter Pacult strike.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rapid reached its first European final in 1985, losing 3–1 in the Cup Winners' Cup Final to Everton in Rotterdam. Eleven years later, in the same tournament's final in Brussels, Rapid lost 1–0 to Paris Saint-Germain.<ref>European Cup Winners' Cup Finals 1961–99. Template:Webarchive. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (31 May 1999).</ref>
Rapid last reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in 2005–06 after beating F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg 9–3 on aggregate and then defeating Lokomotiv Moscow 2–1 on aggregate in a play-off after a 1–0 victory in Russia. They eventually finished last in their group after losing all of their matches against Bayern Munich, Juventus and Club Brugge.<ref>UEFA Champions League 2005/06 – History – Rapid Wien –. [3]. UEFA.</ref>
In 2015, the Rapid youth team took part<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in the third season of the Football for Friendship international children's social program, the final events of which were held in Berlin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Woman's section
In 2022, the founding of a woman's section was initiated by a petition of club members and a positive vote at the membership meeting. Katja Gürtler was appointed as the first head coach in August 2023.<ref name="w_guertler_coach">Template:Cite web</ref> The first team started competing in the 3rd tier (Wiener Frauen Landesliga) of the Austrian Woman's football league system in the 2024/25 season.
In their first season, they won the league with a perfect recordTemplate:Citation needed as well as the regional Cup competition (Wiener Frauen Cup).<ref name="w_wcup_double">Template:Cite web</ref> They also won the promotion play-off earning them a spot in the 2. Bundesliga for the 2025/26 season.
Club culture
Rapid Viertelstunde
Almost since the club's beginnings, Rapid fans have announced the last 15 minutes of the match by way of the traditional "Rapid-Viertelstunde" – rhythmic clapping at home or away regardless of the score. The first mention of the practice goes back to 1913, and on 21 April 1918 a newspaper wrote about the fans clapping at the beginning of the "Rapid-Viertelstunde". Over the decades, there have been many instances where the team managed to turn around a losing position by not giving up and, with their fans' support, fighting their way to a win just before the final whistle.
Fans
The biggest fan club is Ultras Rapid, which was founded in 1988. Other important fan clubs are the ultras group Tornados Rapid and Spirits Rapid and the hooligan firm Alte Garde Dritte Halbzeit.
The active supporters are situated in the Block West stand, which has a capacity of 8,500 spectators. The old Block West in the now demolished Gerhard-Hanappi-Stadion had about 2,700 seats.
The fan-base of Rapid is connected, in a friendly way, with the supporters of the German club Nürnberg, the Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb, the Italian club Venezia, the Hungarian club Ferencváros and the Greek club Panathinaikos. As Rapid, Ferencváros and Panathinaikos also play in green the alliance is nicknamed the "Green Brothers"
Stadium
Rapid played at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium - which was opened on 10 May 1977 with a Vienna derby match against Austria Wien - until the 2013–14 season. The stadium bore the name of its architect Gerhard Hanappi, who also played for Rapid from 1950 to 1965. Prior to 1980, when it was renamed in his honour, it was known as the Weststadion (Western Stadium), due to its geographical location in the city.
In June 2014, it was announced that a new stadium, the Allianz Stadion, will be built in place of the old Gerhard Hanappi Stadium.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During its construction, Rapid played its home games in the Ernst Happel Stadion.
The stadium was officially unveiled when Rapid Wien hosted Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on 16 July 2016 and won 2–0.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rivalries
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Rapid Wien contest the Vienna derby with their local Vienna rival FK Austria Wien. The two clubs are amongst the most supported and successful football teams in the entire country, and are the only Austrian clubs to have never been relegated. Both teams originate from Hietzing, the 13th district in the west of the city, but have since moved into different districts. While Austria Wien is seen as a middle-class club, Rapid traditionally hold the support of the capital's working class. The two clubs first met in a league championship match on 8 September 1911, a 4–1 victory for Rapid.<ref>[4] Template:Webarchive</ref> The fixture is the most-played derby in European football after the Old Firm in Glasgow between Rangers and Celtic.
Honours
Domestic
Rapid Wien is Austria's record titleholder, lifting the trophy a total of 32 times, and the club also won a German Championship and German Cup while part of that country's football competition from 1938 to 1945 following the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938.
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| International | Mitropa Cup | 2 | 1930, |
| Domestic | Austrian Bundesliga | 32 |
1911–12, 1912–13, 1915–16, 1916–17, 1918–19, 1919–20, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1928–29, 1929–30 File:Stella 10 Scudetti.svg, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1955–56 File:Stella 10 Scudetti.svg, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1995–96 File:Stella 10 Scudetti.svg, 2004–05, 2007–08 |
| German Championship | 1 | 1941 | |
| Austrian Cup | 14 |
1918–19, 1919–20, 1926–27, 1945–46, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1994–95 | |
| German Cup | 1 | 1938 | |
| Austrian Supercup | 4 | 1986,
1987, 1988, 2008 |
Continental Finals
Players
Current squad
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Out on loan
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SK Rapid II
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Notable former players
Players with most appearances are Peter Schöttel (436), Steffen Hofmann (434), and Michael Konsel (395). The top three scorers are Josef Uridil (score rate 1.198), Franz Binder (1.103), Robert Dienst (1.080).
Club staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Template:Flagicon Alexander Wrabetz |
| Vice-president | Template:Flagicon Nikolaus Rosenauer |
| Sports Coordinator | Template:Flagicon Steffen Hofmann |
| Sporting director | Template:Flagicon Markus Katzer |
| Manager | Template:Flagicon Peter Stöger |
| Assistant managers | Template:Flagicon Stefan Kulovits Template:Flagicon Thomas Sageder Template:Flagicon Daniel Seper |
| Goalkeeper coach | Template:Flagicon Jürgen Macho |
| Fitness coach | Template:Flagicon Martin Hiden |
| Athletic coach | Template:Flagicon Tony Prünster Template:Flagicon Julian Helml Template:Flagicon Alexander Steinbichler |
| Match analyst | Template:Flagicon Daniel Schmitt |
| Club doctor | Template:Flagicon Thomas Balzer Template:Flagicon Patrick Bitzinger Template:Flagicon Wojtek Burzec Template:Flagicon Lukas Brandner Template:Flagicon Manuel Rosenthaler Template:Flagicon Wolfgang Skalsky |
| Physiotherapist | Template:Flagicon Gerald Kemmer |
| Kit Manager | Template:Flagicon Dragisa Vukadinovic |
Coaching history
- Template:Flagicon Dionys Schönecker (1910–25)
- Template:Flagicon Stanley Wilmott (1925–26)
- Template:Flagicon Edi Bauer (1926–36)
- Template:Flagicon Leopold Nitsch (1936–45)
- Template:Flagicon Hans Pesser (1 July 1945 – 28 February 1953)
- Template:Flagicon Josef Uridil (1953–54)
- Template:Flagicon Viktor Hierländer (1954–55)
- Template:Flagicon Leopold Gernhardt (1955)
- Template:Flagicon Franz Wagner (1955)
- Template:Flagicon Alois Beranek (1956)
- Template:Flagicon Franz Wagner (1956)
- Template:Flagicon Max Merkel (1 July 1956 – 30 June 1958)
- Template:Flagicon Rudolf Kumhofer (1958–59)
- Template:Flagicon Robert Körner (1 July 1959 – 30 June 1966)
- Template:Flagicon Rudolf Vytlacil (1 July 1966–68)
- Template:Flagicon Karl Decker (1968–70)
- Template:Flagicon Rudolf Vytlacil (1968 – 30 April 1969)
- Template:Flagicon Karl Rappan (1969–70)
- Template:Flagicon Gerd Springer (1970–72)
- Template:Flagicon Robert Körner (1972)
- Template:Flagicon Ernst Hlozek (1 April 1972 – 22 April 1975)
- Template:Flagicon Josef Pecanka (1975)
- Template:Flagicon F. Binder / Template:Flagicon R. Körner (1 September 1975 – 30 June 1976)
- Template:Flagicon Antoni Brzezanczyk (1976–77)
- Template:Flagicon Robert Körner (1977)
- Template:Flagicon Karl Schlechta (1978–79)
- Template:Flagicon Walter Skocik (1 July 1979 – 1 April 1982)
- Template:Flagicon Rudolf Nuske (1982)
- Template:Flagicon Otto Barić (1 July 1982 – 30 June 1985)
- Template:Flagicon Vlatko Marković (1 July 1985 – 30 June 1986)
- Template:Flagicon Otto Barić (1 July 1986 – 11 September 1988)
- Template:Flagicon Wilhelm Kaipel (interim) (12 September 1988 – 19 September 1988)
- Template:Flagicon Vlatko Marković (19 September 1988 – 30 June 1989)
- Template:Flagicon Hans Krankl (1 July 1989 – 30 June 1992)
- Template:Flagicon August Starek (1 July 1992 – 31 May 1993)
- Template:Flagicon Hubert Baumgartner (1 July 1993 – 22 May 1994)
- Template:Flagicon Ernst Dokupil (23 May 1994 – 1 April 1998)
- Template:Flagicon Heribert Weber (1 April 1998 – 1 May 2000)
- Template:Flagicon Ernst Dokupil (1 July 2000 – 18 August 2001)
- Template:Flagicon Peter Persidis (interim) (18 Aug 2001 – 5 September 2001)
- Template:Flagicon Lothar Matthäus (6 September 2001 – 10 May 2002)
- Template:Flagicon Josef Hickersberger (1 July 2002 – 31 December 2005)
- Template:Flagicon Georg Zellhofer (1 Jan 2006 – 27 August 2006)
- Template:Flagicon Peter Pacult (5 September 2006 – 11 April 2011)
- Template:Flagicon Zoran Barisic (interim) (11 April 2011 – 30 May 2011)
- Template:Flagicon Peter Schöttel (1 June 2011 – 17 April 2013)
- Template:Flagicon Zoran Barisic (17 April 2013 – 6 June 2016)
- Template:Flagicon Mike Büskens (7 June 2016 – 7 November 2016)
- Template:Flagicon Damir Canadi (11 November 2016 – 8 April 2017)
- Template:Flagicon Goran Djuricin (9 April 2017 – 29 September 2018)
- Template:Flagicon Dietmar Kühbauer (1 October 2018 – 10 November 2021)
- Template:Flagicon Steffen Hofmann (interim) (11 November 2021 – 28 November 2021)
- Template:Flagicon Ferdinand Feldhofer (29 November 2021 – 15 October 2022)
- Template:Flagicon Zoran Barisic (16 October 2022 – 14 November 2023)
- Template:Flagicon Robert Klauß (20 November 2023 – 24 April 2025)
- Template:Flagicon Stefan Kulovits (interim) (24 April 2025 – 1 June 2025)
- Template:Flagicon Peter Stöger (2 June 2025 – )
See also
References
External links
- Template:Official website Template:In lang
- Rapid at UEFA.com
- Rapid Template:Webarchive at EUFO.de
- Rapid at Weltfussball.de
- SK Rapid Wien Results current results of SK Rapid Wien
Template:SK Rapid Wien Template:Austrian Bundesliga Template:Football in Austria