Image: GEPA pictures/David Bitzan (GEPA pictures)
The Rapid case continues to make waves. Five players and an assistant coach took part in sometimes homophobic chants with the fans hours after the victory in the Vienna derby against Austria. Not only were there suspensions, it also had an impact on the team careers of the affected Rapid kickers Marco Grüll, Guido Burgstaller and Niklas Hedl. All three were ignored by the team boss due to the chants for the first squad in the EURO year.
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On Friday, the reduced penalties for Niklas Hedl and Marco Grüll also caused a stir. The Bundesliga’s justification for Hedl: “In addition to the mitigating reasons already recognized by Senate 1, Niklas Hedl’s young age – compared to the other players – should also be mentioned. In addition, he was more on the sidelines and was the least actively involved of all the players .”
Bitter for the Bundesliga: Now another video has appeared of these two players. The daily newspaper “Heute” published a recording from the VIP club in which both players loudly sang an unquotable fan chant.
Will the case be reopened?
When asked about the new video, Rapid sports director Markus Katzer was taciturn on “Sky”: “I always assumed that the videos that existed were judged. I can’t say anything about the new video now. We are for something was punished, which everyone noticed anyway and was absolutely not okay.”
It remains to be seen whether the Rapid case will now be reopened. After the verdicts were mitigated, the Bundesliga is now more than ever under pressure to act.
more from football Austria
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I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
