November 29, 2025 is 100th birthday of Ernst Happel. The Viennese was one of the most successful and influential coaches in football history and, as a defender of international stature, was of course part of Rapid’s team of the century.
Special exhibition in honor of Ernst Happel
In honor of the home-made player, from Saturday until the end of April 2026 Rapideum in the Allianz Stadium Special exhibition (entrance fee from 3 to 7 euros).
A particularly historical object in the club museum is a red and black dress. This is how Rapid played in the 3-1 win against Real Madrid with three Happel goals.
The reason for this color combination, which is unique for the Greens in 126 years? The Happel Show was the first floodlit show in Austria to take place in the Prater; the signal colors were used to react to the not yet strong floodlights.
By the way: The report in the Rapideum on this groundbreaking premiere is the KURIER article at the time.
His coaching career started by chance in Hütteldorf
“No Rapider lives on in the general memory as strongly as Ernst Happel. Most books have been written about him, even in Dutch,” says Rapideum director Julian Schneps, impressed.
A street sign from Rotterdam can be seen in the club museum: The Ernst-Happelstraat has existed directly in front of the Feyenoord stadium since 1997. Until now, only a few football historians knew where Happels was fantastic coaching career as coach of Standard Liège: In the Hanappi Stadium, by chance through the Intertoto Cup.
Never officially a rapid coach
Was the “Wödmasta” ever actually a rapid trainer? Officially no, but his former player Walter “Schani” Skocik reports that the long-time section leader also worked as a trainer in Hütteldorf from time to time.
It shows that Rapid also wants to shed light on the dark days of “Aschyl”. Original pennant from the 1954 World Cup semi-final, on loan from the DFB. Germany won 6-1, Austria then came third. But Happel and his goalie friend “Tiger” Zeman were accused of being bribed by the Germans.
Rightly offended by these absurd allegations after Austria’s greatest success in adult football to date, Happel and Zeman got off the train before the big reception at Westbahnhof. Zeman never wanted to play for Austria again, only doing so as a farewell to his career.
Happel was persuaded years later. But the 51-time team player spent his best years as a “stopper” (as the libero was called back then) away from the ÖFB.
Saying in every T-shirt
The fact that Rapid wants to honor Ernst Happel in all ways can be seen on every fan shirt the club sells. Since this year, one of his legendary sayings has been sewn into every bodysuit: “A day without football is a day wasted.”