Derby without away fans: atmosphere falls by the wayside!

Derby without away fans: atmosphere falls by the wayside!

Everything was ready for the 344th Vienna derby between FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid - only one thing was missing: the surprise and excitement of visiting fans. In an environment marked by protests and stadium bans, Austria triumphed 2-1, while the overall atmosphere was severely dampened by the absence of Rapid supporters. The Austria fan groups had taken a clear stand and expressed their dissatisfaction with posters and upside-down banners. The messages were aimed at agreeing to play the next four derbies without away fans, which was interpreted as a reaction to the aggressive riots at the previous meeting in September, which resulted in a pitch storm and 577 charges were issued, mainly for pyrotechnic violations, as today.at reported.

Tough measures after riots

After the violent incidents, it was decided to no longer allow away fans and both clubs announced that they would take joint action against the violent fans. Austria Vienna imposed a total of 26 house and stadium bans, which illustrates the massive security-related measures. Rapid Vienna planned 9 stadium bans, which underlines the seriousness of the situation. The police identified 23 people who were held responsible by the clubs and the executive, which led to a comprehensive package of detailed measures. The recently decided fines totaling 150,000 euros were perceived by many as too lenient, especially given the riots and the allegations made.

Despite the adverse circumstances, both Austria players and fans appeared to be mostly peaceful in the stadium. Austria captain Manfred Fischer regretted the absence of away fans: “It's a shame that there were no away fans there,” while Rapid captain Matthias Seidl also missed the support of his supporters. But players agreed that the safety precautions were necessary to avoid such incidents in the future. The derby, which was far from the typical exciting atmosphere of a Viennese duel, sent a clear signal to everyone involved that violence has no place in football. However, it remains to be seen whether a return to the traditional derby scenes with full spectators will be possible, as the security situation and the associated measures remain a central issue in Austrian football.