Feldhofer, who played 80 league games for the green-whites from 2001 to 2005, signed a contract for the current and coming season with the option to extend the agreement. The 42-year-old began his coaching career in October 2015 at SV Lafnitz, which he led to the second highest Austrian division in the 2017/18 season.
In 2019 Feldhofer was signed by Wolfsberger AC, which he led into the UEFA Europa League. During his tenure, the Carinthians even wintered on the European stage after two victories against Feyenoord Rotterdam, before the Styrian and Carinthian wolves parted ways again in March of this year.
“Return to familiar surroundings”
“It feels really good, it’s a return to familiar surroundings. After intensive discussions with the Rapid executives, it quickly became clear to me that we were totally on the same wavelength when it came to football. I can hardly wait to get to know my players personally and to work with them on the pitch and beyond, ”Feldhofer was quoted as saying in a club broadcast.
Feldhofer was one of the team that won the penultimate championship title in 2005 and successfully mastered the Champions League qualification.
Ried’s home series is also against Rapid
Before Feldhofer’s announcement as the new Rapid coach, the Hütteldorfer could not end the impressive home series of the Rieder with a 2-2. The team of interim coach Christian Heinle has for the 13th time in a row not conceded a defeat in their own stadium. As a result, the Rieder are fifth in the table, one point ahead of the Viennese, who slipped to eighth place.
The Upper Austrians are now unbeaten five competitive games. Filip Stojkovic won the points with an own goal (26th) and “Joker” Leo Mikic (71st). Ercan Kara (11th) and Christoph Knasmüllner (84th), who had come from the bank, were successful for the Viennese.
Just one Rapid win in five games
After the 2-0 home draw in the UEFA Europa League against West Ham United on Thursday, there was again no sense of achievement. Rapid, which has had to wait for a win in Ried since September 26, 2015, has only won one of the last five competitive games.
The Viennese started with a lot of momentum in the Innviertel, ex-Rapid goalkeeper Samuel Sahin-Radlinger had to show all his skills right away with Thorsten Schick (6th) and Jonas Auer (9th). Two minutes later the ball floundered in the net. Marcel Ziegl passed a Schick free-kick flank in the direction of the Ried goal, Kara reacted the fastest and completed it from close range. That was a little wake-up call for the locals, who took command and pressed for a balance.
Exchange of blows in the first half
Thanks to all the risk, Paul Gartler stayed in the duel with Ante Bajic Sieger (13th), and Rieder pushed the ball past the goal from the best position (18th). Opportunity number three also led to success on the part of the hosts.
Constantin Reiner headed a useful cross and the ball jumped from Stojkovic’s body into his own goal. The ex-Rieder Marco Grüll would have had to submit again, but missed a double chance (31st) and had bad luck with a pole hit (39th).
Back and forth goes on
After the restart it took a while for the game to really pick up speed again. With a header from Rieds Marcel Ziegl, not much was missing (62nd). But with Mikic a “Joker” made his thing better. Rapid’s defense acted extremely passively several times, and the 24-year-old Croatian closed the corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Goal parade of the Bundesliga Sunday games
The most important scenes and goals from the games Ried – Rapid and Hartberg – LASK.
But the Viennese struck back quickly. First Jonas Auer failed to Sahin-Radlinger (74th), then a header from Kara was denied after a video study by Christopher Jäger, because Srdjan Grahovac had hindered Ried’s goalkeeper from offside (78th). But the Hütteldorfer did not allow themselves to be thrown off course by that either.
Hofmann with the right instinct
Interim trainer Steffen Hofmann had a “golden hand” with a substitution. After the magnificent flank of the strong Auer, Knasmüllner headed in. Then the away win was still in the air, a shot by Taxiarchis-Fountas was blocked in the corner, then Knasmüllner hit the outside netting with his head (92nd). So it didn’t come out of three points that they had won in the first duel at 3-0 at the Allianz Stadium.
Voices for the game:
Christian Heinle (Ried interim trainer): “For us it is definitely a point won. Rapid pressed on incredibly, but that was to be expected. After the 0-1 we woke up and took the pressure off Rapid. We had our chances after the 2-1 if we had been a little more effective. With spectators there might have been a meter or two that we couldn’t manage anymore. Because of the last ten minutes, it’s a lucky point. We allowed too many opportunities. If you take the risk and play more openly, you will have more chances, but the risk to the back is also greater. “
Steffen Hofmann (Rapid interim trainer): “We have had a very difficult time in Ried for many years. We played well for long stretches today, but we should have used our chances better. We knew that Ried had quality and unfortunately we slacked off shortly after the tour and got the compensation again after a standard situation. Then Ried took a 2-1 lead with a super goal, but my team never gave up and wanted to win until the end. The grapes are hanging high in Ried, many teams have not yet won this year. It’s always uncomfortable to play in Ried. “
Admiral Bundesliga, 16 round
Sunday:
Ried – Rapid 2:2 (1:1)
Ried, if Arena, SR Jäger
Goal sequence:
0: 1 (11.) Kara
1: 1 (26.) Stojkovic (own goal)
2:1 (71.) Mikic
2: 2 (84.) Knasmüllner
Ried: Sahin-Radlinger – Jovicic (46./Meisl), Lackner, Reiner – Wießmeier, Stosic, Ziegl, F. Seiwald (46./Pomer) – Bajic (72./Chabbi), S. Nutz (85./Offenbacher), Satin (59./Mikic)
Rapid: Gartler – Stojkovic, Aiwu, Moormann, Auer – R. Ljubicic, Grahovac – Schick (65./Fountas), Ballo (65./Knasmüllner), Grüll – Kara (89./Arase)
Yellow cards: F. Seiwald or Stojkovic
The best: S. Nutz, Sahin-Radlinger, Bajic and R. Ljubicic, Grüll, Auer
