Cardiff city flop was made to train with youth team and makes bizarre claim

THE CLAIMS HAVE EMERGED IN A NEW INTERVIEW IN GERMANY 10:00, 22 May 2025 Cardiff City flop Guido Burgstaller has opened up about his brief and difficult stint with the club, citing

communication issues and cultural challenges as key factors behind his struggles in the Championship. Speaking in a recent interview with Bild, via SportWitness, the 36-year-old Austrian

reflected on what he described as one of the most difficult periods of his professional career. Burgstaller joined Cardiff in the summer of 2014 from Rapid Vienna, during Ole Gunnar

Solskjær’s tenure as manager, but lasted just six months in south Wales. “When I played in Cardiff, that’s when I really felt how tough the football business can be,” Burgstaller said. _Join

the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community_ “I only played five games and didn’t understand the language properly. In Wales you don’t speak pure English — there’s a

strong dialect. "I had no access to the team at all and was relegated to the third training group (youth team).” The forward went on to say that the experience, although challenging,

contributed to his personal growth. “That was a hard time, but it brought me a lot as a person,” he added. Burgstaller was brought in with the hope that he could bolster Cardiff’s attacking

options following their relegation from the Premier League. At the time, Solskjær was trying to rebuild a squad capable of pushing for promotion. However, Burgstaller failed to make an

impact, registering only one goal in five appearances across all competitions. By the January transfer window of 2015, his time at the club came to an end. He was sold to German side FC

Nürnberg, where his career would regain momentum. While Burgstaller pointed to difficulties in understanding accents and integrating with team-mates as major hurdles, his claim will raise a

few eyebrows. _Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here_. During his time at Cardiff, the squad featured a largely international and English-speaking line-up. Of the senior squad,

only two players — Danny Gabbidon and Declan John — were Welsh. The majority were English, alongside team-mates from Spain, Norway and other parts of Europe. Article continues below After

leaving Cardiff, Burgstaller found better fortunes in Germany. He spent successful spells with FC Nürnberg and later FC Schalke 04, becoming a key figure in both squads. In 2022, he returned

once again to Rapid Vienna, the club where he had first made his name. Now in the twilight of his career, he remains a consistent performer. He has scored eight goals in 30 appearances this

season for Rapid, continuing to play a leading role for the Austrian side.