Rapid Vienna Crisis Continues in Conference League

Stöger had a very successful start to the season with Rapid, but about a month ago the problems began. Against the bottom team GAK, it was only a 1:1 draw, followed by five partly very painful defeats, including the home defeat in the derby against Austria. "It is already challenging for me and not easy for the club," admitted the Rapid Vienna coach.

Stöger wants to "break up a lot" after 0:3 against Fiorentina

One must now "address things clearly," said Stöger. "We should change things in small steps and try to look very closely at problem areas to see what needs to be changed." The Viennese did not go into detail and merely stated: "It is necessary for me to try to break up a lot with my experience." At Rapid, "some things are always the same," but they need to be changed, said Stöger, who only a few days ago parted ways with athletic trainer David Lechner and analyst Daniel Schmitt.

Rapid Vienna has "a lot to do in the mental area"

There is an opportunity for personnel changes in the player area on Sunday in the away match against Ried. Until then, there is "a lot to do in the mental area," admitted Stöger. "For us, this game is the next chance to get out of it, but nothing is easy for us at the moment." The rotation will probably not be too intense due to the relatively long injury list. "Our personnel situation is manageable," said the 59-year-old.

Hedl does not want to give up in difficult phase

Claudy Mbuyi, Petter Nosa Dahl, Jakob Schöller, and Jean Marcelin are still out for a longer period, and against Fiorentina, Nenad Cvetkovic was also missing due to muscle problems. In general, Rapid has noticeably often struggled with muscle injuries. In addition, there is another issue: Niklas Hedl has become a real uncertainty factor this season. Against Fiorentina, the long-time first-choice goalkeeper made two mistakes right at the start, one of which led to the 0:1. "I am going through a difficult phase, it is not easy for me at the moment. But I am not the type to give up," said the former national team goalkeeper. Regarding the general sporting situation, Hedl said: "We showed a different face than against LASK (Note: 0:2 on Sunday). Against Fiorentina, it was a step in the right direction, even if the result did not match."

(APA/Red)

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