Antonin Panenka:

“I miss the class players at Rapid”

The Czech Antonin Panenka still enjoys cult status at Rapid today.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Antonin Panenka longs for the Cup title with Green-White. The legend looks back on their triumphs and believes the club has a duty. "Commitment and fight are okay, but I miss the class. Three or four players who make the difference."

When Rapid battle for their first Cup title since 1995 tomorrow, one of the greatest green and white legends will be shaking with them in Prague: "It's hard for me to say: Sturm are slight favorites," admits Antonin Panenka, but says in the same breath: "I always want Rapid to win, I wish them the title from the bottom of my heart on Wednesday."

Antonin Panenka (right) scored 77 goals in 172 appearances for Rapid.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Votava / Imagno / picturedesk.com)

The Czech achieved cult status with his brilliant lob in the final of the penalty shoot-out at EURO 1976 and thrilled the fans in Austria: in addition to two league titles, the 75-year-old won the ÖFB Cup three times with the Viennese team in the 1980s, two of them after thrilling duels with Austria: "The third title in the 1985 penalty shoot-out is the first thing that comes to mind because it was also my last game for Rapid."

Effort and fight are okay, but I miss the class. Three or four players who make the difference.

Antonin Panenka

Winningtitles thanks to Rapid
Successes that the brilliant playmaker himself had to wait a long time for: "I left Bohemians Prague for Rapid in 1980 after 23 years because I finally wanted to win a title. Bohemians promptly won the league in the first year after I left. That made me a bit sad - but the successes with Rapid made up for it."

From afar, the European champion has a conflicting view of the green and white team: "Rapid is the biggest in the country, but unfortunately they have lacked consistency for years. That raises the question of whether every position in the squad is filled correctly." The effort is there: "The officials are working hard, but there is simply no longer a striker like Krankl, not even a Steffen Hofmann - for me, he was the last great player in Hütteldorf."

"Rapid has to play for titles every year"
Despite the many setbacks, Panenka believes the club still has a duty: "Rapid has to play for titles every year. That was the case in my time and will always be the case." In order to have more reason to celebrate in the near future, the legend believes more quality is needed: "Commitment and fight are okay, but I miss the class. Three or four players who make the difference."