Four months after the skull break
This is how Guido Burgstaller experiences his incredible comeback
This is how Guido Burgstaller experiences his incredible comeback
04/11/2025, 07:16 a.m.
In December, Guido Burgstaller is in the hospital with a serious skull injury, now the former Schalke gives his comeback as a footballer. In the Conference League, he is allowed to go to the field for a few minutes. It is now also noticeable through a special utensil.
Guido Burgstaller was brutally beaten up, suffered a broken skull, but almost four months after the assault attack, the former Bundesliga professional is back on the pitch. In the Conference League, Rapid Vienna striker celebrated his comeback on Thursday evening, at the quarter-final first leg in Sweden at the Djurgard’s IF, Burgstaller was substituted in the 85th minute.
“It was nice, of course. I got congratulations from all sides, so I didn’t notice it. Of course I was very happy that I came in,” said Burgstaller afterwards at Canal+: “But it is much more important that we won.” The 35-year-old saved the 1-0 (0: 0), through which the Viennese can dream of moving into the preliminary round.
Burgstaller has been back in team training for almost three weeks. In the game, he wore a black special stirring strap for protection in head balls and clashes. “This is also for the psyche,” said Burgstaller in advance: “Everything is coordinated with the doctors. I am ready.”
Due to the victory, Burgstaller with Vienna now has a good chance of moving into the semi -finals of the Conference League. There, Rapid would meet the winner from the duel between Chelsea and Legia Warsaw. The Londoners won the first leg 3-0. Burgstaller said about his team’s game: “It was a wear against a really good team. We are very happy that we will fly back to Vienna with a win.”
Richter: “Impulse of stupidity”
Burgstaller had been attacked by a man in the morning hours of December 14th after a team evening in the Volksgarten Volksgarten Discotheque. There had been a verbal argument beforehand. The perpetrator initially pushed Burgstaller and then hit him to the ground with his fist, the fall resulted in a skull base break. Burgstaller also suffered bruises of the cerebral cortex, which triggered further problems. “I don’t smell anything, I don’t like anything,” said the former Bundesliga player.
The attacker was arrested in December. At the end of March, the 23 -year -old was sentenced to 16 months of conditional imprisonment – i.e. on probation. The judge spoke of a “pulse of stupidity”.
The perpetrator gave himself confident and reputable: “I guilty and sincerely sorry.” The self-proclaimed real Madrid fan continues: “I would like to apologize to the Rapid fans for the concern and the stress I caused.” Also “in the environment of Mr. Burgstaller”.
Burgstaller, who played in Germany for 1st FC Nürnberg, Schalke 04 and FC St. Pauli, had announced last summer to want to end his career at the end of the season. Before that, the Austrian wanted to return to the pitch again – he did that on Thursday.
