Rapid to play RSC Anderlecht

Rapid Vienna will meet Belgian champions RSC Anderlecht in a pre-season friendly, club bosses have said.Rapid announced today (Weds) that the team will play against the side coached by Ariël Jacobs on 10 July at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium in Vienna. The match will be the “final rehearsal” for the squad of Peter Pacult before they are due to play in the UEFA Europa League qualification on 13 June, 14 June or 15 June. The Austrian Bundesliga gets underway on the weekend of 17 July.Anderlecht won 30 league titles and reached the round of the best 16 in the past UEFA Europa League season where they crashed out against Hamburger SV.Rapid – who currently hold a running camp in Bad Radkersburg, Styria – will also play several other friendly fixtures, including a match against Japanese side Hiroshima on 26 June and Austrian third league club Waidhofen an der Ybbs four days later.Rapid finished the season in third ahead of Sturm Graz who announced recently they will test against Premier League clubs Blackburn Rovers (10 July) and Arsenal (21 July).Vice champions Austria Vienna will play a friendly against Romanian club Dinamo Bucharest on 30 June, while champions Red Bull Salzburg are set to meet Dutch side AZ Alkmaar on 9 July.A fixture between Austria Vienna and Turkish giants Besiktas for 8 July has meanwhile been cancelled.