In 2008 Rapid was eliminated in qualifying for the premier class. At that time, after a 3-0 win in Cyprus, a 3-1 win in the second leg in front of their own audience was not enough, Famagusta subsequently moved into the Champions League. None of the current Rapid squad was there in 2008; Kühbauer had ended his active career at SV Mattersburg a few months earlier. His counterpart Temur Ketsbaia, on the other hand, knows exactly how to beat Rapid, since he was already a trainer at Anorthosis between 2004 and 2009.
“Reparation isn’t really an issue, that happened in 2008. I’ve always said that I don’t live in the past, that we talk too much about the past, ”said Kühbauer. The objective is clear, with a home win in the Allianz Stadium in front of more than 10,000 spectators, the foundation stone should be laid for progress. “We want to present ourselves properly and leave the field as winners,” said the Burgenlander, setting the route.
Rapid warned of Famagusta
Rapid have been warned about Thursday’s first leg against Famagusta. With a home win, the end of the Champions League qualification 13 years ago against the Cypriots should be forgotten.
“Routine and well organized”
His team is the favorite on paper. That doesn’t really matter to Kühbauer, his respect for his opponent is great. “They have a very experienced, well-organized team that knows exactly how football works,” said the Rapid coach. He doesn’t want to talk the opponent better, but he doesn’t want to make them worse either. “It would not be wise if we think that we will get through with an average performance,” said Kühbauer.
EL qualification, 3rd round
8.30 p.m., live on ORF1:
Rapid – Famagusta
Vienna, Allianz Stadium, SR Mariani (ITA)
Rapid: Strebinger – Stojkovic, Hofmann, Wimmer, Ullmann – Petrovic, Schuster – Grüll, Knasmüllner, Fountas – Kara
Famagusta: Loria – Hambardzumyan, Correa, Antoniadis, Correia – Chrysostomou, Husbauer, M. Ioannou – Deletic, Lafferty, Rousias
A win in the first leg is also important from his point of view because of the high temperatures in Cyprus, which we are not used to. While the sick Robert Ljubicic is still out, Maximilian Hofmann could return to the starting line-up. The central defender was last out before the second leg in the CL qualification at Sparta Prague, as did Ljubicic and Christoph Knasmüllner at short notice for the starting lineup. “I hope that it stays the same and that something like that doesn’t happen again,” said Kühbauer.
Rapid with the advantage of match practice
While the Viennese are about to play their sixth competitive game, Famagusta has only been in a competition game in the Supercup defeat on July 13 this season. The Viennese have the advantage of match practice, which is offset by the greater freshness of the opponent. That has changed a lot compared to the cup win in 2021. So the question will be how well the troops, which have been thrown back by CoV diseases in the last few weeks, are already well-rehearsed.
The figureheads are the 21-time Czech team player Josef Husbauer and the 83-time Northern Irish striker Kyle Lafferty. Kühbauer warned against both. “Cyprus is a wonderful holiday destination, I have been going there for 20 years, but it is now also the case that many good players are moving to Cyprus,” said the 50-year-old. Rapids Greek Taxiarchis Fountas knows many of the players in Anorthosis, for him there is a special game due to the proximity of Greece and Cyprus. “Despite the many changes they have a good team,” warned the striker.
Transfer to the Conference League in the event of failure
Rapid has always won the home game against representatives from Cyprus in three qualifications – in addition to the duel with Famagusta it was also 2-0 against Omonia Nicosia (UEFA Cup) in 1998 and 2-1 against APOP Kinyras Peyias (Europa League) in 2009 Case. If Lion Schuster has his way, it won’t be any different now: “I am convinced that we will make the game and win in the end.”
Rapid could qualify for the Europa League for the ninth time this year – before that, Ukrainian representatives Zorya Luhansk would have to be eliminated in the play-off. Famagusta has never been there. In the event of an out against Famagusta, they would switch to the play-off for the new Conference League, where Slask Wroclaw (POL) or Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) would wait.
