Rapid boss ready for new Scottish game

RAPID boss Dietmar Kuhbauer insists Scottish football has changed ahead of their showdown with Rangers and now focuses on passing instead of physicality.

The Rapid icon may have won a league and cup double with the club as a player and was voted in their Team of the Century, but he’s struggled to revive the Viennese club who have been poor in the Austrian Bundesliga.

However, he’s led them to the brink of Europa League qualification and they need just a point on Thursday when Rangers come calling.

And Kuhbauer, who won 55 caps for his country, thinks Scottish football has reinvented itself in recent years and is expecting Steven Gerrard’s side to play a different way than Scots teams in the past.

He said: “Before, everyone knew about Scottish football and the incredible fighting spirit they had, but they weren’t really renowned for anything else.

“Now I think Scottish football is much better quality. The teams want to play football and pass the ball. It’s not just a case of being physical.

“I believe it will be a fantastic game of football between two teams who want to attack.”

And Kuhbauer is looking forward to crossing swords with Gerrard again after already frustrating him.

He recalled: “I played against Steven Gerrard for Austria against England in Vienna in 2004 in a World Cup qualifier.

“It finished 2-2 and he scored a brilliant goal that night. Although we got the last laugh because we came back from 2-0 down to get a point.”