Next Thursday the group stage of the UEFA Europa League will continue with matchday nr. 2. The most controversial game will surely be the match of Austrian record champions Rapid Vienna and Celtic in Glasgow. Both teams faced off against each other already in the Europacupseason 1984/85 resulting in a big scandal. The second leg, which Celtic won 3-0, was chalked off after Vienna claimed their player Rudi Weinhofer had been hit by a bottle from the stands. The match was nullified and Rapid won the rematch 1:0, thanks to a goal by the recent Rapid coach Peter Pacult. 25 years later the two teams meet again - will history repeat itself?
It all happened in the Europacupseason 1984/85 in the forth round of the championship. SK Rapid Vienna won the first leg 3:1 after goals from Peter Pacult, Leo Lainer und Hans Krankl.During the second leg on Nevember the 7th 1984 in Glasgow events came thick and fast. Celtic was leading 3:0 already and would have reached the quarter finals comfortably, whereas the third Celtic goal was preceded by a clear foul on Rapid goaltender Ehn, which was ignored by the referee. All in all the Swedish referees were not up to the task that evening. Rapid player Reihhard Kienast saw a inexplicable red card after the intervention of a linesman. The negative climax came after a Celtic - fan threw a bottle onto the playing field, allegedly hitting the head of Rapid-player Rudi Weinhofer, who suffered a laceration. This incident caused the match to be replayed on neutral soil. In the opinion of many Celtic - fans, however, the incident was staged by Rapid in order to prevent their team from dropping out of the UEFA cup.
The evidence here is not perfectly clear, but it is a fact that at least two bottles as well as coins and firelighter were thrown towards Rapid players.
You can make up your own mind about the incident by clicking on the link below and watching a summary of the infamous game.
The scandal match in Glasgow - external STV link
The rematch took place in Manchester on Dec. 12th 1984 and, ironically, was won by Rapid Vienna. The recent Rapid coach Peter Pacult shot the decisive goal in the twelfth minute and laid the groundwork for the advancement of his team into the europacup - final. Unfortunately even this match was not free from trouble. Rapid goaltender Herbert Feurer was attacked by a celtic fan and another Rapid player took a kick to the groin as the teams were escorted off the pitch at full time.
25 years later the teams meet each other again in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League and the memory from what happened a quarter of a century ago is still very much alive and burning. Former Celtic player Frank McGarvey, who played all three of the infamous matches, has recently stirred up controversy by writing about his dislike of Rapid Vienna in a column for the tabloid Daily record. " I hate Rapid Vienna more than any other team in the world" wrote McGarvey and confirmed that old wounds are still bleeding. He further argued that the bottle incident was definitely staged and that what had happened on that November night in 1984 was one of the most shameful events in football history. McGarvey continues: "I still haven't forgiven them. I went to the guy who claimed to have been hit by the bottle to see if he was bleeding. I knew nothing had happened so I checked his head and there was nothing wrong with it. "But after the game he came out with what I can only describe as a turban on his head. It was a massive bandage that went right round it. They are talking about Eduardo cheating but that was the biggest piece of cheating ever allowed in football. Uefa allowed it and Rapid Vienna are no longer welcome in Glasgow again as far as I'm concerned."
Rapid is now trying to calm down the situation and have now decided to play in their traditional red - bleu dresses instead of the red dresses they had used in the controversial rematch in Manchester 25 years ago. This move was welcome by Celtic officials who try to play down any pre - game tension and clearly distance themselves from the McGarvey´s reports. " We don't think about what has happened 25 years ago, we focus on what is important for us now and that is Thursday's game"
Officials from both sides seem to have agreed on their objective to carry out a match marked by fairness, honesty and sportsmanship and forget about what has happened so many years ago. It remains to hope that fans and players on both sides have gotten the message.
