Rapid Vienna in the crisis: concentration and motivation are missing!

Rapid Vienna in the crisis: concentration and motivation are missing!

Graz, Österreich - Rapid Vienna had to accept another defeat on April 4, 2025. In the away game against Sturm Graz, the team lost 0-2. The Ernstelage shows that the Viennese currently stay far behind their possibilities. Opportunities were played out late in the game, and individual mistakes resulted in punishment. These problems were addressed by central defenders Nenad Cvetkovic, who found that it was lacking in energy, especially at the beginning of the game.

cvetkovic realizes that the team got better in the course of the game, but the opportunities offered could not use. He criticizes his team's concentration problems and calls for improvement in the upcoming games. To motivate his teammates, he sees himself in the role of the motivator. The challenge will be all the greater because the quarter -finals in the Conference League against Djurgården and the Viennese derby are on the game schedule in the next week.

Review of the game against Sturm Graz

The defeat against Sturm Graz is already marking the second game in the master group that Rapid Vienna lost. In addition, it is the fifth defeat in seven league games in spring. Among the 15,746 fans who followed the game in Graz, Sturm took over the initiative from the start and had more game shares across the entire game. William Böving scored 1-0 for the hosts in the 19th minute.

Rapid Vienna had no dangerous shot on Kjell Scherpen's goal until half -time. Coach Robert Klauss tried to bring a fresh air into play with several changes, including Romeo Amana, but without success. In the final phase, there were two noteworthy opportunities for Rapid, which, however, did not lead to compensation. Jonas Auer hit the goal, but Gregory Wüthrich clarified on the line in the 86th minute. Bendeguz Bolla was unlucky in the 88th minute and missed the Kreuzeck. Finally, Sturm Graz made the decision with the 2-0 by grgic after a corner kick.

The psychological aspects in football

The defeat makes it clear how crucial psychological factors are in football. Motivation plays a central role in the success of a team because it drives the players to call up the best performances. Highly motivated teams show cohesion, trust and a positive mood, while mental strengthening it easier for players to remain calm under pressure. These aspects are particularly relevant for Rapid Vienna because they try to get out of the current crisis.

cvetkovic is aware that individual motivation and a strong team dynamics can be decisive to overcome setbacks. The support from fans and psychological preparation by trainers are also very important. Techniques such as visualization and positive thinking can help in upcoming encounters to strengthen the mental gameplay of the players. Only by improving this area will Rapid have the opportunity to successfully cut off in the coming games.