Familiar face takes over as goalkeeping coach

The SK Rapid first team coaching staff is complete: With the appointment of Jürgen Macho comes a further well-known and respected professional into the coaching ranks. The 41-year old Viennese made his way through the Hütteldorf youth academy and broke through in 2004 to the first team squad under then Head Coach Josef Hickersberger. Macho#s most memorable appearance of the 11 he made for the club came in Kazan, where we became only the third club in the history of the UEFA Cup to overturn a 0:2 home defeat in the first leg to qualify. The game that night was decided by a Steffen Hofmann double and one from Marek Kincl. Macho, who had a successful career spanning many clubs and countries (including Vienna, Chelsea, Sunderland, Kaiserslautern, AEK, LASK and Admira) and 26 international caps, was most recently goalkeeping coach at St. Pölten.

Zoran Barisic on Macho's return to the club: "We've known for a while that Helge Payer wanted a new challenge and are delighted that we've been able to recruit our first-choice candidate. He has already worked with Didi Kühbauer at SKN St. Pölten and was the name at the top of the Head Coach’s wish list."

Jürgen Macho has signed a contact tying him to Hütteldorf until summer 2021 and had the following to say on his appointment: "Everyone that knows me knows that Rapid is special to me. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to do my bit towards making the club a success. I’m looking forward to working with the entire coaching staff and the players."

Helge Payer calls time on his Rapid coaching career

In November 2016, Helge Payer returned to the club as goalkeeping coach roughly four years after his final appearance for Rapid as a player. Payer took on the duel function of first-team goalkeeping coach and "Head of Goalkeeping", in which he looked after goalkeeping coaching at every level of the club. The ever-popular figure, recently decorated and recognised by the city of Vienna, leaves to pursue new challenges having been a first team regular between 2001 - 2012, winning the championship twice.

Sporting Director Zoran Barisic, had the following to say on Payer's departure: "I'm extremely sad to see Helge make this decision and can only thank him for his outstanding work. We have to respect his decision, and Helge explained it to me in way that made his choice completely understandable. I wish him all the best in my own name and in the name of his boyhood club. He will always be a welcome guest."

(gw)