Skull Base Fracture: Rapid Player Burgstaller Severely Injured in Brutal Attack in Vienna

Rapid striker Guido Burgstaller fell victim to a physical attack over the weekend and suffered severe head injuries.

As the football Bundesliga club announced on Monday, the 35-year-old Carinthian was attacked by an unknown man in downtown Vienna. Burgstaller fell due to a brutal blow and suffered, among other things, a skull base fracture. The footballer will be out for several months due to the severity of the injuries.

Rapid's Burgstaller Severely Injured in the Head During Attack at Vienna's Heldenplatz

The press office of the Vienna State Police Directorate did not provide any personal data for data protection reasons on Monday, but confirmed an operation matching the incident early Saturday morning at 6.00 am at Heldenplatz. According to witnesses, there was an argument between a 35-year-old and an unknown person. The latter is said to have struck and then fled. The background to the dispute was still completely unclear, as there were no interrogations yet, the police said on APA request.

Burgstaller was given emergency medical treatment by the professional rescue service and taken to a hospital injured. "Unfortunately, he will also have to spend the coming days there and it is also a fact that he will not be able to practice his profession for several months," it says in the official Rapid announcement. The Hütteldorfer asked to respect the privacy of the player and his family under the circumstances. According to the police, the bodily harm was reported by an unknown perpetrator.

"We are shocked by the terrible news of the attack on Burgi," said Rapid's managing director Steffen Hofmann on Rapid TV. Burgstaller is for him "more than just a football player". The entire club wishes for a "quick and complication-free recovery", said Hofmann. "We are overwhelmed by the many wishes for Burgi's recovery from our fans, our Rapid family. But also from other clubs." In addition to the striker's recovery, Hofmann also hoped that "the perpetrator will be convicted as quickly as possible".

Rapid Player Faces Premature Career End After Attack

It is currently unclear how long the offensive veteran Rapid will be missing. Burgstaller's contract with Rapid expires in the summer of 2025, after which the former captain plans to end his career. Given the severity of the injuries, it is quite possible that Burgstaller had his last professional football appearance last week in the 1:3 defeat at Omonia Nikosia.

Many Bundesliga clubs reacted with shock to the serious incident. "This news is shocking and deeply affects us. We wish Guido Burgstaller all the best and a full recovery!", the Wiener Austria conveyed via "X". "Get well soon, Guido!" wished champion Sturm Graz. Red Bull Salzburg, Austria Klagenfurt or Blau-Weiß Linz also joined in the wishes. Burgstaller's former club Schalke 04 wrote: "What a despicable act. All the best and a speedy recovery. We are thinking of you, Burgi!"

Kogler Stunned by Attack on Footballer

Sports Minister Werner Kogler (Greens) is also initially stunned by the brutal attack on Rapid striker Guido Burgstaller. "This condemnable act affects and angers me. I wish Guido Burgstaller a speedy, complication-free and complete recovery."

Burgstaller, who was trained in Carinthia, came to Rapid via Wiener Neustadt in 2011. After three years, the striker made the leap abroad to Cardiff City. Other stops were 1. FC Nürnberg, Schalke and St. Pauli. In the summer of 2022, Burgstaller returned to Rapid and became the top scorer. In 26 appearances for the national team, he scored two goals.

(APA/Red)

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