Rapid before the league final: Champions group in sight of European triumph!

Rapid before the league final: Champions group in sight of European triumph!

Rapid Vienna continues its dream in the European Cup! After a thrilling 2-1 win against Banja Luka, the team is now in the quarter-finals of the Conference League. This is a significant achievement as Rapid is represented in a European quarter-final for the first time since the 1995/96 season. That year, the Viennese reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, but lost 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain. As the renowned sports journalist Rainer Bortenschlager from “Krone” reported, the path continues for Rapid, but the challenge is not over: there is already a crucial league game against GAK next Sunday. Only a win will secure Rapid a place in the Bundesliga championship group. “I won’t be able to really enjoy promotion until we win against GAK,” explained coach Robert Klauß, who underlined the importance of the game.

History of European struggles

The significance of Rapid's current success is reflected in the club's rich historical record. They already showed international strength in the 1980s by reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1984. The team looks back on an exciting history in European football, with ups and downs. They failed to reach the quarter-finals in 1969 against Manchester United and in the semi-finals against Benfica in 1961. According to the Small newspaper Rapid has also played against well-known opponents such as Dynamo Kiev and Everton and achieved mixed success.

While Rapid looks to the future with the aim of building on their current success in the league, the European stage remains a central part of the club. The exciting promotion to the next rounds of the European Cup gives the fans new hope and gives them hope for more thrilling games.