Brutal Attack on Rapid Player Burgstaller: Suspect Surrenders
The man refused to make a statement and was taken to a correctional facility after consultation with the public prosecutor's office. He is said to have spoken with Burgstaller's companion and then punched the Carinthian in the face. Burgstaller was seriously injured, but is on the road to recovery.
Rapid coach Robert Klauß explained this Wednesday afternoon at the press conference before the Conference League home game on Thursday against FC Copenhagen. "He is clearly on the road to recovery, everything is going as it should," said the German after consulting with Rapid's medical department.
Burgstaller has been ordered strict bed rest and must stay in the hospital for "a few more days". "Then the next steps will be initiated so that he can start moving again." According to Klauß, Burgstaller is not allowed to play football for "at least three months".
Burgstaller Still Has Severe Headaches
However, it could have turned out worse for the former team player, Klauß emphasized. "Fortunately, the first 24 hours, which are very important in such a case, have gone in the right direction. He is feeling much better, even though he still has severe headaches. We wish him all the best and want to give him a victory tomorrow," said the coach.
Rapid midfielder Lukas Grgic also hopes for a speedy and uncomplicated recovery of the 35-year-old. "He is not only a teammate, but also a good friend and very important for the locker room. We as a team will do everything to ensure that he gets well as quickly as possible. I hope that he can spend Christmas with his daughter."
Burgstaller and the accused were strangers to each other, emphasized the Vienna State Police Department on Wednesday, which does not mention the names of those involved for data protection reasons. The parties met around 6.00 am in front of a discotheque at Heldenplatz. According to initial investigations, the 23-year-old is said to have first approached Burgstaller's companion. The Rapid player did not behave aggressively, but suddenly received a blow to the face from the perpetrator, fell to the ground and suffered, among other things, a skull base fracture.
Attack Clearly Visible on Video
The suspect was also identified due to extensive investigations by the Graf group, Vienna State Criminal Police Office, Zentrum-Ost branch, in particular through evaluations of video surveillance systems and witness interrogations, the police reported. The events are clearly visible in the recordings. The Austrian citizen was then identified and contacted by the police. The suspect voluntarily turned himself in at the Vienna State Criminal Police Office. The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office has since applied for pre-trial detention, as spokeswoman Nina Bussek told APA. The decision on pre-trial detention is to be made on Thursday.
The investigations for suspicion of intentional grievous bodily harm are ongoing. The suspect's lawyer, Klaus Ainedter, emphasized in the Kurier that his client "of course takes full responsibility for what happened". "He is currently still trying to figure out what led him to this knee-jerk reaction, so that this incident could happen at all. The identity of Mr. Burgstaller was unknown to my client at the time of the incident," said Ainedter.
The lawyer conveyed that the perpetrator and his family sincerely apologize to Burgstaller and his family for this "incomprehensible and above all completely unnecessary act". "It was all the worse for him to find out that it was Mr. Burgstaller, especially since his father has always been a fervent Rapid supporter," added Ainedter. His client, who is currently retaking his Matura according to Ainedter, will also voluntarily take probation assistance and voluntarily complete an anti-aggression training.
(APA/Red)
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