RB Leipzig’s incredible rise under potential Arsene Wenger successor Ralph Hasenhuttl as they look to win an amazing, unlikely Bundesliga title
Despite being the 'most hated team' in Germany, Leipzig's amazing fairy-tale is on par with that of Leicester in 2015-16
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SEVEN years ago they did not exist — now they are top of the Bundesliga.
RasenBallsport Leipzig, or RB for short, are no longer a PR stunt.
Yes, they are reviled across Germany for their name, which is nothing more than a gimmicky reference to their backer — drinks giant Red Bull.
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Yes, they were the Bundesliga’s biggest net spenders on £45million last summer, but only the third highest behind Borussia Dortmund (£100million, net £1m) and Bayern Munich (£63m, net £16m).
And yes, they are accused of buying their way to the top. But name two RB Leipzig players? See my point?
Their football model is what every Prem club must at least look at.
I’m not defending how or why they were founded by energy drink billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, who also owns teams in New York, Salzburg, Brazil and Ghana all bearing the name of his product.
“Rasen Ballsport” means Lawn Ball Sports. RB allows the association with the drink without breaking rules.
They bullied their way past the lower rungs after buying a small Leipzig club in 2009. And they only have 17 club members, all Red Bull employees.
It’s £900 a year to be a member. That’s to prevent fans from signing up and having a say.
A season ticket is a lot less than the membership fee. And local fans don’t mind. Leipzig didn’t have a top-flight club for 22 years until this season.
They don’t buy anyone over the age of 23. Their joint-record signing is Scottish lad Oliver Burke, 19, (£15m from Nottingham Forest).
Their football mastermind? Former Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick; frequently linked with Prem clubs and, most recently, the England job when Sam Allardyce was sacked.
He came in as technical director in 2012. RB spent around £25m on their state-of-the-art academy complex in downtown Leipzig, which even has an underground athletics track!
Rangnick, 58, took over as coach last term and got them up to the Bundesliga.
He continued as technical director and brought in manager Ralph Hasenhuttl - now the main name to replace Arsene Wenger after 20 years at Arsenal - who also made his name with last season’s Bundesliga sensation Ingolstadt.
Hasenhuttl shares Rangnick’s attacking philosophy. Summing it up, Rangnick explained: “Last season we took an average 4.8 seconds to win the ball back and eight seconds to complete our attack. In our best games, we had an average ball possession time of 11 seconds.”
Liverpool fans might find this strangely familiar — it’s almost identical to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool Way.
They fly in the face of Bundesliga traditions. But they play in front of 45,000 almost every week and have plans for a new 70,000-seater stadium.
They challenge Bayern’s dominance. Then again, haven’t Bayern bullied everyone else for decades?
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