![]() ![]() Despite the criticisms, the club has grown under the leadership of Rangnick and coach Nagelsmann. Lack of funds and opportunistic scouts have favoured West German clubs over the last few decades, but the rise of RB Leipzig has the big guns worried in Germany. Under the stewardship of its sporting director Ralf Rangnick, the club invests mainly in young players no older than 24. ![]() While there is much negativity surrounding the club’s functioning, RB Leipzig has shown a very progressive football philosophy. Some of their best players have also been transferred to Leipzig in the last few years. Once the kingpin of Red Bull’s football empire, it has now become a feeder club to its sister club Leipzig. The criticism has also been given weight by the way Red Bull has managed another team they own-RB Salzburg. This has led to years of boycotts and protests by opposing fans. Its proper members are mostly employees or associates of Red Bull. Membership to the club costs a whopping thousand euros a year and it only gives you non-voting rights. German Football Association follows a ‘50+1’ rule, under which a club should own a majority of their rights. Such is the hatred against the club that during their first game against Dortmund in 2016, Dortmund fans refused to travel to watch the game, choosing to follow the game on radio. They feel the club is a corporate gimmick, playing to the corporate needs. ![]() The club is one of the most hated in Germany, because Germans feel the club doesn’t fit into the ethos of their football. Although they are officially known as Rasenballsport Leipzig, the club has been effectively marketed as ‘RB’ or ‘The Red Bulls’ by its promoters. They are also one of the first clubs to qualify for the Champions League so soon (just eight years after their creation). They became the first Bundesliga debutant and the first from the former East Germany area to qualify for a European tournament, since the Germany reunification. RB Leipzig’s journey has been brilliant so far. They will face PSG for a place in the final. Fast forward eleven years and they are now in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League after knocking out Tottenham Hotspurs and Atletico Madrid. Re-christened RB Leipzig, the club has had a roller coaster run. SSV Markranstadt was a fifth-division football club in Germany, relatively unheard of, until Austrian energy drink manufacturer Red Bull decided to buy their licence. Their origin started a few miles from Leipzig in the city of Markranstadt. Little over a decade ago, nobody had heard of the club RB Leipzig. ![]()
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