Overview

• Guido Burgstaller was violently attacked in Vienna in December 2024, suffering a skull base fracture that left him in critical condition.
• Rapid Wien’s medical team avoided surgery as the fracture allowed natural decompression of intracranial swelling, crucial for his survival.
• Burgstaller made his professional comeback on April 10, 2025, appearing in a Conference League quarterfinal match against Djurgardens IF.
• He continues to experience dizziness and has lost his sense of smell and taste, undergoing olfactory training with essential oils to stimulate recovery.
• Doctors project sensory recovery could take up to a year, with the risk of permanent deficits if improvement does not occur within that timeframe.