Football Season Guide

Rapid had their moments in the 2018/19 season, having made the Austrian Cup final and the knock-out stage of the Europa League. However, they performed well below expectations in the league, having ended up in the Relegation Group and failed to qualify for Europe after losing to Sturm in the play-off final on away goals. Didi Kuhbauer was allowed to stay in charge despite failing to deliver Europe, with the excuse that he had going for him that he took over a third into the season, when plenty of damage was already done under Goran Djuricin. The former St.Polten and Wolfsberger manager has now had the summer to make the squad his own. He has reunited himself with Taxiarchis Fountas, who joins from St.Polten, while the other signing made is Thorsten Shick, a former Sturm player who returns to Austria after a spell with Swiss champions Young Boys. Boli Bolingoli has left after a year of speculation linking him with a move away, while the other players to have left were either reserves or hardly featured at all under Kuhbauer. While the playing squad that Kuhbauer has available is on a similar level to last season, there is little doubt that Rapid have underachieved in the league last time around. They showed signs of improvement in the second half of the campaign and will be expected to build on that momentum.