SK Rapid Wien

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), 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, and retained the title the following season.

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. 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.

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.

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 100 mi 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.

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.

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.

In 2015, the Rapid youth team took part in the third season of the Football for Friendship international children's social program, the final events of which were held in Berlin.

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. 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 record as well as the regional Cup competition (Wiener Frauen Cup). 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. 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.

Rivalries

Main article: Vienna derby

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. 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.

Continental Finals

Cup Winners' Cup

• Runners-up: 1984–85, 1995–96

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

SK Rapid II

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

Coaching history

• Austria Dionys Schönecker (1910–25)
• England Stanley Wilmott (1925–26)
• Federal State of Austria Edi Bauer (1926–36)
• Nazi Germany Leopold Nitsch (1936–45)
• Austria Hans Pesser (1 July 1945 – 28 February 1953)
• Austria Josef Uridil (1953–54)
• Austria Viktor Hierländer (1954–55)
• Austria Leopold Gernhardt (1955)
• Austria Franz Wagner (1955)
• Austria Alois Beranek (1956)
• Austria Franz Wagner (1956)
• Austria Max Merkel (1 July 1956 – 30 June 1958)
• Austria Rudolf Kumhofer (1958–59)
• Austria Robert Körner (1 July 1959 – 30 June 1966)
• Austria Rudolf Vytlacil (1 July 1966–68)
• Austria Karl Decker (1968–70)
• Austria Rudolf Vytlacil (1968 – 30 April 1969)
• Austria Karl Rappan (1969–70)
• Austria Gerd Springer (1970–72)
• Austria Robert Körner (1972)
• Czechoslovakia Ernst Hlozek (1 April 1972 – 22 April 1975)
• Austria Josef Pecanka (1975)
• Austria F. Binder / Austria R. Körner (1 September 1975 – 30 June 1976)
• Poland Antoni Brzezanczyk (1976–77)
• Austria Robert Körner (1977)
• Austria Karl Schlechta (1978–79)
• Austria Walter Skocik (1 July 1979 – 1 April 1982)
• Austria Rudolf Nuske (1982)
• SFR Yugoslavia Otto Barić (1 July 1982 – 30 June 1985)
• SFR Yugoslavia Vlatko Marković (1 July 1985 – 30 June 1986)
• SFR Yugoslavia Otto Barić (1 July 1986 – 11 September 1988)
• Austria Wilhelm Kaipel (interim) (12 September 1988 – 19 September 1988)
• SFR Yugoslavia Vlatko Marković (19 September 1988 – 30 June 1989)
• Austria Hans Krankl (1 July 1989 – 30 June 1992)
• Austria August Starek (1 July 1992 – 31 May 1993)
• Austria Hubert Baumgartner (1 July 1993 – 22 May 1994)
• Austria Ernst Dokupil (23 May 1994 – 1 April 1998)
• Austria Heribert Weber (1 April 1998 – 1 May 2000)
• Austria Ernst Dokupil (1 July 2000 – 18 August 2001)
• Austria Peter Persidis (interim) (18 Aug 2001 – 5 September 2001)
• Germany Lothar Matthäus (6 September 2001 – 10 May 2002)
• Austria Josef Hickersberger (1 July 2002 – 31 December 2005)
• Austria Georg Zellhofer (1 Jan 2006 – 27 August 2006)
• Austria Peter Pacult (5 September 2006 – 11 April 2011)
• Austria Zoran Barisic (interim) (11 April 2011 – 30 May 2011)
• Austria Peter Schöttel (1 June 2011 – 17 April 2013)
• Austria Zoran Barisic (17 April 2013 – 6 June 2016)
• Germany Mike Büskens (7 June 2016 – 7 November 2016)
• Austria Damir Canadi (11 November 2016 – 8 April 2017)
• Austria Goran Djuricin (9 April 2017 – 29 September 2018)
• Austria Dietmar Kühbauer (1 October 2018 – 10 November 2021)
• Germany Steffen Hofmann (interim) (11 November 2021 – 28 November 2021)
• Austria Ferdinand Feldhofer (29 November 2021 – 15 October 2022)
• Austria Zoran Barisic (16 October 2022 – 14 November 2023)
• Germany Robert Klauß (20 November 2023 – 24 April 2025)
• Austria Stefan Kulovits (interim) (24 April 2025 – 1 June 2025)
• Austria Peter Stöger (2 June 2025 – 28 November 2025)
• Austria Stefan Kulovits (interim) (29 November 2025 – 29 December 2025)
• Denmark Johannes Hoff Thorup (30 December 2025 – 31 June 2027)

References

References

1. [https://www.skrapid.at/de/startseite/news/news/aktuelles/2019/01/stein-der-erinnerung-fuer-wilhelm-goldschmidt Memory Stone for Wilhelm Goldschmidt]. {{Webarchive. link. (9 January 2022 . {{in lang). de.
2. [https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oost12.html Austria 1911/12]. {{Webarchive. link. (13 August 2016 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (2 February 2005).)
3. [https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oost13.html Austria 1912/13]. {{Webarchive. link. (13 August 2016 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (9 February 2005).)
4. [https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oostchamp.html Austria – List of Champions]. {{Webarchive. link. (27 February 2017 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (25 July 2013).)
5. [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50042--sk-rapid/ UEFA Champions League 1955/56 – History – Rapid Wien –]. [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50042--sk-rapid/]. UEFA.
6. [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50042--sk-rapid/ UEFA Champions League 1960/61 – History – Rapid Wien –]. [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50042--sk-rapid/]. UEFA.
7. "Erinnerungen an Hassduell".
8. [https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec2stats.html European Cup Winners' Cup Finals 1961–99]. {{Webarchive. link. (23 April 2016 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.com (31 May 1999).)
9. [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50042--sk-rapid/ UEFA Champions League 2005/06 – History – Rapid Wien –]. [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50042--sk-rapid/]. UEFA.
10. "Junge Fußballspieler aus 24 Ländern Europas und Asiens trafen sich zum Dritten Internationalen Kinderforum Football for Friendship". The International Children's Social FOOTBALL FOR FRIENDSHIP project press center.
11. (2015-06-07). "Champions League-weekend Berlijn onvergetelijk voor Merel Hulst uit Assen".
12. "Gürtler erste Cheftrainerin der Rapid-Frauen".
13. "SK Rapid Frauen: Grün-Weißes Double".
14. "SK Rapid Wien - Eckdaten / Das grün-weiße Jahrhundertprojekt: Unser neues Stadion".
15. (2016-04-26). "Eröffnung des Allianz Stadions am 16. Juli gegen Chelsea". SK Rapid Wien.
16. (2016-07-17). "Zurück in Hütteldorf: Show, Unterhaltung, Sieg vs. Chelsea". SK Rapid Wien.
17. link. (10 November 2012)
18. "Rapid II".