Herzog Rages Against Rapid: "Then You're Better Off Being Eliminated"

SK Rapid successfully started the new Bundesliga season with a 1-0 home win over SCR Altach. Match report >>>

Petter Nosa Dahl scored the decisive goal as early as the fourth minute, and with better chance conversion, the Green-Whites could have sealed the deal in the first half. Yusuf Demir, for instance, only hit the crossbar.

Tired Legs?

As the game progressed, the team from Vorarlberg put up better resistance, coming close to an equalizer with a mishit cross from Yann Massombo that hit the post. Niklas Hedl saved Marko Raguz's rebound shot.

In the final minutes, the Viennese barricaded themselves at the back and played with fire, but they weren't punished for it.

Dahl attributed the weaker second half to the intense start to the season: "We've already played several games, maybe it was tired legs. A second goal would have helped us."

Coach Johannes Hoff Thorup and several other players also addressed the workload of the past few days.

Herzog Clearly Expresses Disbelief

Andreas Herzog had little patience for that.

The former Rapid player analyzed the match as a "Sky" pundit and expressed his disbelief.

"If, after three or four games, I say I have too many matches in my legs, then it's better to be eliminated in the Conference League Qualifiers. I can't stand hearing this garbage anymore," Herzog stated emphatically.

If Rapid "wants to be successful again," they need to have clarity about "certain things." The 57-year-old was only partially pleased with the performance, and it reminded him of the less-than-glorious previous season.

"The first 30 minutes were good, then, as in the past, they dropped too deep and couldn't properly follow up anymore," Herzog analyzed.