Fist strike against Rapid star Burgstaller: Court negotiates drama!

Fist strike against Rapid star Burgstaller: Court negotiates drama!

Wien, Österreich - On December 14, 2024, an incident occurred in front of a Viennese disco, which was supposed to change the life of the Rapid striker Guido Burgstaller. A 23-year-old hit Burgstaller in the face with a punch and seriously injured him. The accused confessed on March 27, 2025 before the Vienna Regional Court and expressly regretted his deed. "I guilty and sincerely sorry," he said in the negotiation. The severity of the injuries that Burgstaller suffered is alarming: he suffered, among other things, a broken burst of the skull, brain bruises, bleeding and hearing loss, which led to it largely lost his sense of smell, as 5min reported.

The incident developed from an initially harmless argument. The accused pushed Burgstaller before finally hit him with his fist. This "excessive overreaction" had fatal consequences, which the prosecutor classified in the court as an "unfortunate fall". Burgstaller himself can hardly remember the incident. He told the court meeting that after his hospital stay he had no longer received financial compensation and that he had considerable difficulties with his taste in taste and retina of his eye. The SK Rapid also demanded 60,000 euros in damages, while Burgstaller demands 80,000 euros. However, he rejects the apology of the accused and considers the incident to be unappable.

legal consequences and the future

The accused was sentenced to a conditional prison sentence of 16 months, but the judgment is not yet final. The criminal complaint was submitted for serious bodily harm (Section 84 (4) of the Criminal Code) after the original suspicion of deliberate serious bodily harm was dropped. The negotiation was scheduled for two hours, and Burgstaller had to be invited as a witness and was expected to appear ready, provided that his health problems allowed this. The accused was previously undamaged and had no police contact, he was employed in an insurance company.

The incident throws a light on the dangers that are related to assault in sports. According to a study, around 2 million sports injuries occur in Germany annually, which often result from clashes and plunges. Such injuries are common, especially in club sports, as well as football, with risk factors such as their own behavior and incorrect actions from other athletes. Accident prevention in sport is therefore of crucial importance to reduce the risk of injuries and to ensure the security of the athletes, as in Safety Sport