Rapid vs Salzburg takes place on Friday
Because the spectator restrictions were lifted from Saturday, Rapid wanted to postpone the spring opener against Red Bull Salzburg to the weekend. However, the Mozart townspeople stuck to the Friday date.
Salzburg are guests in the top game at Rapid on Friday evening.
APA/Krug photo
The dropping of the spectator restrictions next Saturday has led to discussions about the first Bundesliga game of the year. The hit between Rapid and Red Bull Salzburg rises on Friday – i.e. on the last day on which only a maximum of 2,000 spectators are allowed to attend an event. If it had been postponed by one day, significantly more fans would have been admitted to the Allianz Stadium, but Rapid’s application failed due to Salzburg’s veto.
The Mozart city-dwellers will play the round of 16 first leg against FC Bayern Munich in the Champions League in Wals-Siezenheim on Wednesday and would have one day less to prepare if the duel with Rapid were postponed. Therefore, the champion and leader of the table declared on Tuesday afternoon that he would stick to the original date.
Salzburg announced on social media: “SK Rapid’s application is fundamentally understandable for us. But in terms of organic preparation for our extraordinary Champions League round of 16 against FC Bayern Munich, such a spontaneous game shift would not be justifiable from a sporting point of view. Both the training plan and many other organizational aspects are coordinated and based on the long-standing schedule.
Rapid reaction: “It hurts us emotionally”
A few hours later, Rapid also turned to the public, Managing Director Christoph Peschek said: “We and the decision with great regret, because we are very much looking for a good backdrop and a worthy setting with our fantastic Rapid fans in the Allianz Stadium would have been happy. It hurts us a lot emotionally and we are extremely sorry for our fans. It is doubly bitter that we are the only club to have to take into account a maximum spectator limit of 2,000 people.”
In theory, the Allianz Stadium could be filled again for the first time in the first leg of the Conference League on February 17 against Vitesse Arnhem. As before, viewers must then provide 2G proof and wear an FFP2 mask.