SK Rapid – Total Inclusion through Football

SK Rapid is one of the biggest football clubs in the country and our Special Needs Team is celebrating its 10th anniversary last year. What began as an inclusion project with 16 players is now an integral part of our club and is no longer imaginable without it.

In recent years, more than 200 players with diverse disabilities aged 6 to 56 have proudly called themselves Rapid players. The degree of handicaps varies in severity, although an important prerequisite for participation is being able to securely partake. Football skills are not the main factor in team selection, the coaches create a competitive environment according to individual abilities. Identification with the club SK Rapid and the team are the most important selection criteria.

This pioneering project has achieved the desired role model effect. Since the establishment of this team, numerous other football clubs, from the Bundesliga to the regional leagues, have taken their own initiatives and created teams for people with disabilities.

The latest milestone in this ongoing success story occurred with the hiring of the first players at the club. Florian Müller (28, Down Syndrome) has been working as a receptionist at our training center, while Elias Leisch (25, learning difficulties) is part of the greenkeeping team and Artem Krasylnikow (30, cerebral palsy) works as a steward. These three are the first of hopefully many who will be employed by the club in the future.