Rapid wins in Conference League
© Imago
Former Bundesliga player Guido Burgstaller gave an emotional comeback in professional football four months after his serious head injury. At the 1-0 of the SK Rapid Vienna in the Conference League near Djurgårdens IF in Stockholm, the 35-year-old was substituted in the 85th minute-with a special stirrel.
“It was nice, of course. I didn’t notice that much. I got congratulations from all sides, so I didn’t realize it all. Of course I was very happy that I came in,” Burgstaller was quoted from the “Krone”.
Probation penalty for perpetrators – Burgstaller: “I don’t smell anything, I don’t taste anything”
Burgstaller, who previously played for FC Schalke 04, which 1. FC Nürnberg and FC St. Pauli had played, had come into a serious discussion in December. In front of a discotheque in Vienna he got a punch and opened his head on the floor. According to the forensic medical report, he suffered a broken skull and bruises of the cerebral cortex.
The injuries triggered further problems. “I don’t smell anything, I don’t like anything,” said Burgstaller at a trial. In the meantime, the perpetrator was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
With the 1-0 in the quarter-final first leg, Burgstaller with Vienna has now had a good chance of moving into the semi-finals of the Conference League. “It was a struggle for wear against a really good team. We are very happy that we will fly back to Vienna with a win,” said the striker.