Austrian footballer Burgstaller sustains skull fracture in attack

GENEVA

SK Rapid Vienna striker Guido Burgstaller sustained a serious head injury after being attacked by an unidentified man in central Vienna over the weekend, the Austrian Premier League club announced on Monday.

“Burgstaller suffered a fracture to the base of his skull, among other injuries, as a result of a brutal blow. He was immediately examined and treated in a Viennese hospital,” SK Rapid Vienna said in a statement.

The 34-year-old forward will remain hospitalized for several days and is expected to be sidelined for several months, the club added.

Witnesses reportedly saw the attack, but the perpetrator remains unidentified.

SK Rapid Vienna expressed support for their player on X, wishing him a swift recovery and urging authorities to apprehend the attacker quickly.

Burgstaller, trained at AKA Karnten, joined SK Rapid Vienna from Wiener Neustadt in 2011.

After three years, he transferred to Cardiff City in England’s second division before moving to Germany, where he played for 1. FC Nurnberg, Schalke 04, and FC St. Pauli.

The striker returned to SK Rapid Vienna in 2022, once again becoming the team’s top scorer.

Over his career, Burgstaller has scored two goals in 26 appearances for the Austrian national team.

The veteran striker, whose contract with Rapid Vienna runs until the summer of 2025, had previously announced plans to retire at the end of his current deal.