3-0 (1-0) against FC Copenhagen on the last matchday in the Europa Conference League late on Thursday evening – The Austrian record champions Rapid Vienna made it straight into the round of 16 of the latest UEFA club competition in fourth place in the table – and celebrated a youngster : Nikolaus Wurmbrand (18).
18 years, 11 months, 14 days – Nikolaus Wurmbrand wrote Rapid history in his first second game in this competition in the starting eleven.
He became the youngest goalscorer for the club from Vienna's 14th district of Penzing in the Conference League.
Wurmbrand overtook his teammate Dion Beljo, who broke the spell against Copenhagen with a 1-0 win in stoppage time in the first half on Thursday.
2 age records in one season
The Croatian Beljo netted for Rapid against FC Noah Erewan from Armenia in the Conference League on October 24, 2024 at the age of 22 years, 7 months and 25 days.
- A total of 8 players in the UEFA competition, which was only launched in 2021, were younger than Wurmbrand when they scored their debut goal.
- These include Paul Wanner from 1. FC Heidenheim, who was equally courted by Germany and Austria as a national player and who also scored FCH's historic first goal in the European Cup against Olimpija Ljubljana (2-1) on October 3, 2024, and U17 European champion Paris Brunner.
- The loan striker from Cerlce Bruges was only slightly younger than shooting star Wurmbrand at 18 years, 10 months and 4 days when the Belgians drew 1-1 against Basaksehir on December 19, 2024.
After the shock following the physical attack on club idol Guido Burgstaller (35), the Viennese show a surprising reaction of defiance. At 1-0, Beljo celebrated with a Burgstaller jersey with the number 9 on the back.
- With this goal, the Viennese team made a huge leap in the live table: from 11th place to 4th. It should stay that way.
78 minutes per goal
Because: Then Wurmbrand came and smashed the ball into the goal twice (49th/64th) – and raised hopes.
“On a magical night a new star rises,” wrote the Viennese Krone newspaper (Friday edition), “The youngster turned his premiere into a gala.”
- Wurmbrand, brought into the Bundesliga team from the Green-Whites' second team, found the net every 78 minutes in just 155 minutes of action in the Conference League.
He only made his debut for SK Rapid in Austria on September 14, 2024 admiral Bundesliga.
