“I try to watch a lot of games. You can gain insights from this. I assume that my players do that too, otherwise they wouldn’t be professional footballers. At a World Cup, we’re talking about the highest level.” Rapid’s Zoki Barisic is under stress. Four games a day. The TV in his office is on. And since Tuesday – after a week’s vacation – Grün-Weiß has been training again, today (3 p.m., Hütteldorf training ground) even tested against the FAC. The Vienna and Schalke will also come to “sparring”. “The results are irrelevant, but we’re trying to maintain the rhythm of the league,” Barisic explains the winter timetable. 13 weeks “break” has to be bridged. “It’s interesting how you put it on. How do you keep the tension high? I put my trust in our sports scientists,” says Barisic. Players will only get three weeks off again from December 15th.
