Know Your Minnows: SK Rapid Wien

By: Ian Rose | July 2nd, 2007

Last time, we took a look at Cork City FC of Ireland, who went ahead and won their first-round Intertoto Cup tie. This time around, we have an older and more trophied club, entering in the second round, and also with a good chance at making a run: SK Rapid Wien of Austria.

Rapid Vienna, as it is mostly known outside of Austria, is the most decorated club in Austrian football history, with 31 league championships, 14 Cups, and two runner-up finishes in the dearly missed Cup Winner’s Cup. Their most recent effort in Europe was a notable one, in the 2005-06 Champions League, when they progressed from the Second Qualifying Round to the Group Stage, only to lose all their group matches. Despite the disappointing end to that campaign, they were one of three group stage sides to come from such an early start in the tournament, and they represented Austria well.

This year’s Intertoto Cup is their first, having spent much of the past decade either in higher tournaments or out of qualifying altogether. Although they have history on their side, Rapid now competes with several sides backed by foreign investment, most notably Red Bull Salzburg. Rapid has the largest fan base in the country, but has struggled to maintain quality in an increasingly expensive transfer market. Their investment in young home-grown talent, though, bodes well for their future. There are three Rapid players on Austria’s U-20 World Cup team, including Erwin “Jimmy” Hoffer, who has probably the best mafia-reference-nickname in the history of football, as well as a wicked strike. Also sharing club and national duties is Veli Kavlak, one of the youngest professionals in Austrian history when he signed his contract at 16.

My Prediction: I expect Rapid will have a hard fight from their second-round opponent, ŠK Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia, who dominated their first-round tie. But, I expect Rapid to move on and beat Rubin Kazan of Russia to reach the UEFA Cup.