RB Leipzig

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Prior to investing into Leipzig, Red Bull GmbH with Co-Owner Dietrich Mateschitz, searched three and a half years to find an appropriate location for investing in German football. Apart from Leipzig Red Bull GmbH also looked at a possible location in the western part of Germany and looked at cities like Hamburg, Munich and Dusseldorf.

The company's first attempt to join the German soccer scene in 2006. Based on recommendation from Franz Beckenbauer, a personal acquaintance from Dietrich Mateschitz, the company chose to make a bet in Leipzig. The local soccer side FC Sachsen Leipzig, successor to the former East German champions BSG Chemie Leipzig had for many years was in financial trouble. Red Bull GmbH drew up plans to invest as much as 50 million euros into the club. The company was planning an acquisition, which included the change of team colors and club's name. One of the parties involved was the film businessman Michael Kolmel, sponsor of FC Sachsen Leipzig and owner of the Zentralstadion. In 2005, FC Sachsen Leipzig played in the Oberliga at the time, which was the fourth tier of the German football league system. In the fourth tier and having to go through procedures for the German Football Association (DFB) licensing process. Red Bull GmbH and the club were in the process of negotiating an agreement, but the plan was rejected by the DFB and the club, who opposed the club's proposed name change to "FC Red Bull Sachsen Leipzig" and worried about too significant influence from the firm. After months of protests by fans against the involvement of Red Bull, as they escalated to violence, the business has officially withdrawn the plans.

Red Bull GmbH then turned to previously West Germany. The company contacted Hamburg's cult team FC St. Pauli, popular for its left-leaning fan base and met with representatives of FC St. Pauli to discuss a potential sponsorship agreement. Just a few days prior the meeting, fans at FC St. Pauli had been protesting against the Red Bull takeover from SV Austria Salzburg. When it was clear to the Hamburg team that the company had plans that went way beyond traditional sponsorship that it put an end to the partnership and the matter was never brought up to the club's management. The company then began to make an attempt to contact TSV 1860 Munich. Discussions began behind closed-doors however, TSV 1860 Munich did not seem interested in any investment, and had to end the relationship.

In 2007 Red Bull GmbH made plans to invest in Fortuna Dusseldorf, a traditional club that has greater than 100 years tradition. The plans were made public, and disclosed that the company was looking to buy more than 50% from the stakes. There was speculation that the company was planning to change the name of this club "Red Bull Dusseldorf" or something similar. The plan was immediately received with a flurry of protests from supporters of the club. Like FC Sachsen Leipzig, the plans also encountered legal hurdles as the statutes of DFB didn't allow for alter the name of a club to promote a business or an investor from outside to get the majority of the votes. The plans eventually were rejected by the members of the club. The club reverted to the old East Germany.

Leipzig was regarded as a suitable location for investment. The possibilities of the establishment of a team in Leipzig was huge. Leipzig has a long tradition of football, including the site of the establishment of the DFB as well as the site of one of the first German national football team, VfB Leipzig. In the time of East Germany's existence local teams like 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig and its counterpart, BSG Chemie Leipzig, were at the top within the East German football league system as well as at the international scale. The current status of football was however, not great. There was no team from the city that was playing at the Bundesliga since 1994, and none of the teams was within a league of professional players until 1998. The two top teams were soon to play in the Oberliga while local football was marred by violent fandom. Leipzig was a city that wanted top-of-the-line football. Leipzig was home to about 500,000 residents. It therefore had significant economic power and potential fan base. In addition there were not any Bundesliga clubs in a large region of downtown, and this made it more likely to draw supporters and sponsors.

In Leipzig the city, an outstanding infrastructure was also found. Leipzig had a huge airport, motorway connectivity and, most importantly, an enormous modern stadium for football. The Zentralstadion was the stadium in the year 2006 FIFA World Cup venue and the second biggest football arena in the eastern part of Germany following it was the Olympiastadion situated in Berlin.

A decision to invest in a club that was playing in an elite division of Germany could be a significant expense. Based on previous experience the company realized that the traditions that existed at this club could be an advantage. Also, it was aware that investing in a club that is in an elite division could be a legal issue. This investment is therefore extremely risky. The company decided instead that a brand new club, specially designed to serve the business is the best choice for investing. At the early part in 2009 Red Bull GmbH contacted the Saxony Football Association (SFV) to inquire about the process to create the first team in Saxony.

A brand new club would require teams as well as a playing right. If it didn't get a playing right from a different club, it would need begin playing in the league that is the lowest in tier that is the Kreisklasse. The company was looking for a club that played in the Oberliga which is, as of 2008, the fifth tier of the German football league system, and consequently not bound by licensing requirements under the DFB license system. With the help of Michael Kolmel business discovered SSV Markranstadt, a small club located in a town 13 kilometers to the west of Leipzig. The club was enticed to form a partnership with a global corporation. The chairman Holger Nussbaum was looking to ensure the club's longer term financial health and devised plans to join Red Bull GmbH. Holger Nussbaum pitched his idea before Michael Kolmel, who saw his opportunity and decided to join. Aided by Michael Kolmel, Red Bull GmbH began talks to SSV Markranstadt. Within five weeks of the initial contact, SSV Markranstadt had agreed to transfer its playing rights in Oberliga Oberliga in Germany to Red Bull GmbH. The amount hasn't been revealed, however SSV Markranstadt is believed to have received a settlement of 350,000 euros.

RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. was founded on the 19th of May 2009. The seven founding members were agents or employees from Red Bull GmbH. Andreas Sadlo was elected chairman while Joachim Krug was hired as director of sports. Andreas Sadlo was a well recognized football player agent who worked for the agency "Stars and Friends". To avoid any any future complaints by his former employer, the German Football Association (DFB) the agent resigned his position as a player agentbefore taking on the his position as chairman. The rules of the DFB do not permit agents of players to participate in the operations of the club. Joachim Krug had earlier been hired as manager and coach at Rot Weiss Ahlen which at that time was referred to under the name LR Ahlen and sponsored by cosmetics maker LR International.

RB Leipzig became the fifth football club within the Red Bull sporting portfolio, following FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria and The New York Red Bulls in the United States, Red Bull Brasil in Brazil and Red Bull Ghana in Ghana. Contrary to earlier teams, RB Leipzig did not have their corporate names. The regulations of the DFB do not allow for that the name of the company to be used in the name of the club. In its place, the team chose the unique name "RasenBallsport" which literally translates to "Lawn Ball Sports". However, through the use of"RB", the spelling of "RB" that corresponds to the letters of the business the brand's logo was still identifiable.

RB Leipzig began with a collaboration with the fifth division club SSV Markranstadt. The collaboration was a result of the fact that SSV Markranstadt would provide the first core of RB Leipzig, as the foundation for the RB Leipzig's transition to German football. RB Leipzig acquired the playing rights for the Oberliga as well as the top three teams for men and a senior men's squad that was a part of SSV Markranstadt. The first team was totally transferred, along with its trainers and chief coach Tino Vogel, who is the son of the former East German football legend Eberhard Vogel.

It was necessary for the transfer of the game rights to the Oberliga required approval from the North East German Football Association (NOFV). RB Leipzig would need at minimum four junior teams, comprising an A-juniors team in order to obtain the right to play. SSV Markranstadt had retained its junior section, but RB Leipzig lacked junior teams. Red Bull GmbH therefore approached FC Sachsen Leipzig. The club was facing financial problems and was unable to no longer afford their youth division. The NOFV was able to approve that the club transfer the playing rights on June 13th, 2009 in 2009 and RB Leipzig was given one year to finish its number of youth teams. The club later acquired the four teams of juniors from FC Sachsen Leipzig. The move was supported to be supported by Saxony Football Association (SFV) to stop an exodus of talents.

RB Leipzig would play its debut campaign in Oberliga in the Stadion am Bad in Markranstadt. The stadium had 5,000 seats and was the main home ground for SSV Markranstadt. It was planned that the team's first team would soon move to the bigger Zentralstadion and possibly in the year 2010, following an upgrade towards the Regionalliga. The stadium was operated through Michael Kolmel. Kolmel was a friend of Red Bull GmbH for years and was involved in the creation the foundation RB Leipzig as a negotiation partner. Michael Kolmel had previously also played in local soccer as a patron for FC Sachsen Leipzig. He was keen to find a reliable venue for the stadium that last witnessed FC Sachsen Leipzig play in the Regionalliga in a closed-door manner. Discussions among Red Bull GmbH and Michael Kolmel started right from the club's inception. Red Bull GmbH reserved the right to name the venue in June of 2009 which means that the name can't be sold to anyone else.

At the time of its creation, RB Leipzig aimed to play in the first division Bundesliga football in just eight years. In line with the plans previously devised in the United States by Red Bull GmbH in Austria and the US the team was set to begin its journey and rapidly ascend throughout the divisions. It was anticipated to be that Red Bull GmbH would invest 100 million euros into the club over the course of ten years. Dietrich Mateschitz openly spoke of the possibility of winning the German championship in the future. The first squad from Leipzig to win the title would be VfB Leipzig in 1903.

After a few previously scheduled games were cancelled due to safety issues, RB Leipzig played its debut match on the 10th of July 2009, in a friendly game against Landesliga team SV Bannewitz. The match took place in the Stadion am Bad in Markranstadt and concluded with the score 5-0 in favor of RB Leipzig. The club had its first match in competition on the 31st of July, 2009 in the initial round of the Saxony Cup against VfK Blau-Weiss Leipzig. After switching teams, RB Leipzig played as the home team and took the game by a score of 5-0. The team then began its league debut with an away game with FC Carl Zeiss Jena II on the 8th of August, 2009. The game ended in a draw.

As the season progressed, the season RB Leipzig suffered its first loss on the 13th of September, 2009 in a game in which they were defeated by Budissa Bautzen. Despite some minor setbacks the club was able to win the title of Herbstmeister with a first position after the first second half of 2009/10 season. The team was stronger in the second part of the season signing the veteran midfielder and two. Bundesliga footballer Timo Rost from Energie Cottbus in January of 2010. The team was able to secure first spot during the 2009-10 NOFV-Oberliga Sud at the 25th gameday, and thus earned advancement to the 2011-11 Regionalliga Nord. The team concluded the season with a remarkable goal differential of 74-17, with only two losses. The playing permit to play in the Regionalliga was given to the DFB on the 4th of May, 2010. RB Leipzig targeted a place in the 2010-11 DFB-Pokal which could be won by winning in the 2009-10 Saxony Cup. The team made it to the quarterfinals of the Saxony Cup, but was defeated by FSV Zwickau on 13 November 2009.

The chairman of the club, Andreas Saldo, left the club in the month of January and was replaced by former Hamburger SV sporting director and current sporting director for the general Red Bull football commitment Dietmar Beiersdorfer. A day after the final game of the 2009-10 campaign, Beiersdorfer dismissed the head coach Tino Vogel as well as the assistant director of coaching Lars Weissenberger and sporting director Joachim Krug from their positions. This was done following Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz announced a change to the strategy. Based on the new strategy, RB Leipzig was going be the main project of the commitment to football of the firm, instead the former FC Red Bull Salzburg. Tomas Oral was announced as the new head coach on the 18th of June 2010.

Players Christian Mittenzwei, Sebastian Hauck, Stefan Schumann, Toni Jurascheck and Michael Lerchl did not receive new contracts until the next Regionalliga season The two players Frank Rabsch, Ronny Kujat and two others ended their careers.

Prior to joining the Regionalliga the club had two significant changes at the club. The club transferred the third, second, and fourth teams with SSV Markranstadt. To replace the reserve team the club took the first team from ESV Delitzsch as its reserve team and also purchased its playing rights for Bezirksliga Leipzig. The first team was relocated from Stadion am Bad in Markranstadt and was moved to an arena called the Zentralstadion in Leipzig the new venue for their home games. The venue in 2006 FIFA World Cup venue was also named Red Bull Arena. The official opening of Red Bull Arena was celebrated on July 24, 2010 by playing an informal match against German Vice-champions FC Schalke 04 in front of 21,566 fans. The game ended in the team losing 2-1 to RB Leipzig. The first team played their final match on the Stadion am Bad six days later , on the 30th of July in a friendly game against Hertha BSC. The match was a 2-1 victory in favor of RB Leipzig.

The 2011-2011 Regionalliga season kicked off with a string of draws. The first on August 6, 2010. The match was against Turkiyemspor Berlin in front of 4,028 fans on the Red Bull Arena. The first win was on the 4th matchday of the season, an away game in a match against Holstein Kiel, which ended with a 2-2 score to RB Leipzig. The first win at home came right after, on the 5th matchday in the match against 1. FC Magdeburg, which ended at a score of 2-1 to RB Leipzig. After a slow start to the season the club began to chase Chemnitzer FC, which was thought to be a possibility to be promoted. The end of the season, RB Leipzig confirmed its ambitions to be promoted with the addition of Brazilian midfielder Thiago Rockenbach. The club had also signed forward Carsten Kammlott who was regarded as promising as a young talent and well-known Leipzig native defensive player, Tim Sebastian, during the summer.

The club completed its inaugural campaign in the Regionalliga with a 4th position which meant that it was not able to secure promotion. Under the direction of coach Tomas Oral, the club won the 2010-11 Saxony Cup after defeating Chemnitzer FC by 1-0 at the end of the game the 1st of June 2011, in the presence of 13,958 fans on the Red Bull Arena. With the winning of the 2010-11 Saxony Cup, the club took home its first title in the history of the club. It also qualified for participation at the 2011-12 DFB-Pokal. Since the club was not able to capitalize on promotions during the second quarter of the 2010-11 season Peter Pacult from Rapid Wien was named director of the team for 2011-12, on May 2011. At the same time, the club announced that the sporting director Thomas Linke had been released from his post, having only been in the position for 10 weeks since February 2011. There was speculation in the media that there was a connection to the appointment by Pacult and the resignation of Linke.

There were also a few players who were dropped from the team, among those who left were Lars Muller, Sven Neuhaus, Thomas Klasener and Nico Frommer who all took part in the earlier Saxony Cup final. Alongside Daniel Rosin, Timo Rost and Benjamin Bellot, only three players from the former Oberliga team remain as part of the squad for the 2012-2013 Regionalliga season, while Former international Ingo Hertzsch was fourth player remained at the club. Hertzsch had his professional career ended in the season 2010-11, however, he was later invited to join his reserve squad, RB Leipzig II, as well as the RB Leipzig business operation. On the 29th of July, the 29th of July in 2011, RB Leipzig made its debut in the DFB-Pokal in front of 31,212 fans in the Red Bull Arena. The team was able to knock Bundesliga Club VfL Wolfsburg out of the first round of the competition, beating VfL Wolfsburg 3-2, thanks to a hat-trick from Daniel Frahn. They were eliminated from the following round, losing 1-0 to FC Augsburg. This year's Regionalliga season witnessed the biggest ever win for the club in which RB Leipzig defeated SV Wilhelmshaven 8-2 on February 19th, 2012. After a decisive draw of 2-2 with VfL Wolfsburg II at the 33rd matchday, the team did not get promoted to the next round during the Regionalliga which ended the season 3rd.

The 2012-13 season of the newly reformed Regionalliga Nordost began with major personnel changes. A former Schalke 04 head coach Ralf Rangnick was appointed the new director of sports. With his arrival the head coach was replaced Peter Pacult with former SG Sonnenhof Grossaspach coach Alexander Zorniger. The season was more prosperous than the two seasons before it. The club was awarded the title of Herbstmeister just two matchdays left in the initial half of the season after beating FSV Zwickau by 1-0 away. The team won the first spot during the 2013-13 Regionalliga Nordost at the 18th matchday, following the fact that second-placed team FC Carl Zeiss Jena lost an encounter in the match against Berliner AK 07 on 7 May 2013. As the result, the team was unable to surpass RB.

It was the 2012-13 Saxony Cup was another success. The team reached its final twice in its history and, just like in 2011 the opposition in the final was Chemnitzer FC. The team took the title on May 15 with a score of 4-2 before a crowd of 16,864 in the Red Bull Arena. The number of fans in the arena reached a new record for the Saxony Cup final, breaking the previous record set by 2011. With the success of taking home this year's Saxony Cup, the club was also able to take part at the 2013-14 DFB-Pokal. In the 2012-13 Regionallig Nordost, RB Leipzig received a spot in the qualification process for the 3. Liga. The team played against Sportfreunde Lotte from the Regionalliga West. RB Leipzig won the first match on May 29th, 2013 by the score of 2-0. The match took place at the Red Bull Arena in front of 30,104 fans the number of fans who established a new record for games in the Fourth Division.

The second match was played on June 2 2013 and finished 2-2 following two goals against RB Leipzig during extra time. The result signified it was the first time that RB Leipzig had finally won promotion to the 3. Liga after having played for three years in Regionalliga. In 2013-14, RB Leipzig made its first appearance in the 3. Liga in club history. They has signed Anthony Jung from FSV Frankfurt, Tobias Willers from Sportfreunde Lotte, Joshua Kimmich from the U19 team of VfB Stuttgart, Andre Luge from FSV Zwickau, Christos Papadimitriou from AEK Athens. Yussuf Poulsen of Lyngby BK and Denis Thomalla from TSG Hoffenheim from 1899 during the summer.

RB Leipzig was eliminated by FC Augsburg in the first round of the 2013-14 DFB-Pokal on the 2nd of August, 2013, after losing 2-0 in the Red Bull Arena. The loss brought an end to a long-running series without a loss in games that were competitive. It was the 2013-14 season. Liga saw a much more positive beginning. The team took the lead in the first game with Hallescher FC away, by 11-0 on the 19th of July and maintained an unbeaten streak until the 31st of August, after which the team was beaten 2 to the first-placed team SV Wehen Wiesbaden away. 5 October 2013 RB Leipzig again met the first-placed team. SV Wehen Wiesbaden had lost its first-place spot to 1. FC Heidenheim only one week after losing to RB Leipzig. 1. FC Heidenheim would defend it until the season's conclusion. RB Leipzig defeated 1. FC Heidenheim by 2-0 after an impressive performance in the Voith-Arena and moved up to third. The winter break was when players Christos Papadimitriou Juri Judt, Carsten Kammlott and Bastian Schulz departed the team. The squad were joined by Diego Demme from SC Paderborn 07, Federico Palacios Martinez from VfL Wolfsburg, Mikko Sumusalo from HJK Helsinki, and Georg Teigl from FC Red Bull Salzburg.

After losing 1-2 to MSV Duisburg on 1 February 2014 the team was unable to ever concede a single loss for the remainder of the season. A thrilling battle with SV Darmstadt 98 appeared, with both teams fighting for vital second position. The two teams played each other on the 35th matchday on April 19, 2014. RB Leipzig came out as the victor, defeating SV Darmstadt 98 by 1-0 in front of 39147 spectators on the Red Bull Arena. RB Leipzig secured the second position and was directly promoted into the 2. Bundesliga just two weeks later after beating the team that was last in the standings 1. FC Saarbrucken 5-1 in front of a near sold-out Red Bull Arena on 3 May 2014. The 42,713 people who attended recorded a record for the club.

In the end, despite finishing in second place RB Leipzig won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga which was the very first club since the inception to the 3. Liga to gain promotion up to 2. Bundesliga in just one season. After promotion into the 2. Bundesliga The organization responsible for licensing had changed. It was no longer the DFB and was instead it was the German Football League (DFL). The DFL released its first decision regarding licensing on the 22nd of April, 2014. RB Leipzig was to be granted a license for during the 2014-15. Bundesliga season but only subject to specific conditions. The club was criticized for having did not have enough participation and that the management of the club was too concentrated on the handful of players as well as that it wasn't distinct sufficient of Red Bull GmbH. To guarantee independence and increase participation to increase participation, the DFL established three conditions that the club was required to fulfill in order to receive an official license for the 2014-2015 2. Bundesliga season.] One of the conditions was to change the crest as the crest was too similar to the logo of Red Bull GmbH. Red Bull GmbH. Another obligation was to change the structure of the club's administrative bodies. The third requirement was to reduce cost of membership and to open the club to new members. The German legal publication Legal Tribune Online assessed all three of the requirements formulated in DFL as being DFL as legally inconclusive.

RB Leipzig filed an appeal on the 30th of April, 2014. The Sporting Director Ralf Rangnick was interviewed by the media and expressed his desire to negotiate with the DFL and said that what is important is not what's written on the shirt, it's rather what is inside. The appeal was rescinded in a second ruling by the DFL on May 8th, 2014. Red Bull GmbH owner Dietrich Mateschitz has spoken out in the media outlets, and criticized the decision of the DFL. The requirements were described by him as the equivalent of a "decapitation demand" and firmly rejected a second season with the 3. Liga and, in the end, threatened to stop this project Leipzig in the event that the license was not granted.

RB Leipzig filed a second appeal on May 12, 2014. It was reported that the DFL licensing commission was scheduled to take a decision regarding the appeal again on May 15 2014, and then make their final decisions on May 28th 2014. Director of Sporting Ralf Rangnick said that the club is in discussions regarding representatives from DFL and expressed confidence in the license. On May 15, 2014, an agreement was made. The compromise required that the club was required redesign its logo and ensure that its management was not tied to Red Bull GmbH.

The club signed several players prior to the 2014-15 season. Among the list is Rani Khedira from VfB Stuttgart, Lukas Klostermann from VfL Bochum, Marcel Sabitzer from FC Red Bull Salzburg, Terrence Boyd from Rapid Wien and Massimo Bruno from RSC Anderlecht. Some players also have left the club. Massimo Bruno as well as Marcel Sabitzer were immediately transferred on loan to FC Red Bull Salzburg. Fabian Bredlow was transferred on loan to FC Liefering, Andre Luge was loaned and loan to SV Elversberg and Thiago Rockenbach Silva was signed by Hertha BSC II as a free agent. They spent an estimate amount of around 12 million Euros on the acquisition of new players in this summer. The amount was enough to put the club into eighth place among all clubs in the 2. Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga which means that they spend more than half the amount of clubs in the premier division.

RB Leipzig played a series of friendly games during the 2014-15 preseason. On the 18th of July, 2014 the club beat Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 in front of 35,796 fans and 150 journalists accredited on the Red Bull Arena. The opening strike was made by Terrence Boyd who scored the second time in the second game for the club he joined. Terrence Boyd was awarded the shirt of Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Paris Saint-Germain after the match. On the 26th of July, 2014, team beat Queens Park Rangers with 2-0 at the Stadion der Freundschaft in Gera. The goals came from Yussuf Poulsen.

In 2014-15, the 2. Bundesliga season started with a the draw of 0-0 with VfR Aalen on 2 August 2014. The season was followed by two draws and wins. The first loss in the league took place on the sixth matchday, where they lost 1-1 to 1-2. FC Union Berlin at the Red Bull Arena on 21 September 2014. Following the 7th matchday the club was in second within the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig was drawn against SC Paderborn in the first round of the 2014-15 DFB-Pokal. The team took the game by 2-1 after an extra period at the Red Bull Arena on 16 August 2014. The second match of the round saw the team took on FC Erzgebirge Aue. The team prevailed by 3-1 in an extra period at Red Bull Arena on 29 October 2015. They qualified for the round of 16 for the first time in the history of the club. RB Leipzig then released its own magazine for club members Klub on October 6, 2014.

After a string of disappointing performances, the team had been relegated to 7th on thirteenth gameday. On November 23, 2014 RB Leipzig defeated FC St. Pauli 4-1 in front of 38,660 people in the Red Bull Arena. The team scored two goals through Terrence Boyd, and the team moved up to fifth place. However, the success was immediately followed by a draw against SV Sandhausen. On the 7th of December, 2014, the team played first-placed squad FC Ingolstadt. RB Leipzig lost 0-1, and as a result, the club is now 8th position. RB Leipzig strengthened the team over the winter break by the signing of Omer Damari, a player from Austria Wien, Emil Forsberg from Malmo FF and players Rodnei and Yordy Reyna from FC Red Bull Salzburg. They spent an estimate amount of 10,7 million euro on newly signed players in the period of the winter break. a figure that was enough to cover all expenses for transfers in the entirety of 2. Bundesliga.

The 6th February of 2015 was the day that the club fell 2-0 against Erzgebirge Aue. In the aftermath, the club was now playing four games without a win and was no longer in contact with the best placed teams. On the next Tuesday night the club called Alexander Zorninger to a meeting at which, on the night of Tuesday the club made the decision to cut ties with him following the season. The decision was made by the management of the club after concert together with Red Bull GmbH owner Dietrich Mateschitz. In the next day, Alexander Zorniger announced his own decision to quit immediately. The club was criticized for the decision. under Alexander Zorniger, the club was promoted out of into the Regionalliga up to 2. Bundesliga. The move was seen as cruel by certain media. In the meantime, RB Leipzig U17 coach Achim Beierlorzer was appointed interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

5 March 2015. RB Leipzig met VfL Wolfsburg in the third round of the 2014-15 DFB-Pokal. The team was eliminated following losing 2-0 at The Red Bull Arena. The game was watched by 43,348 fans. This is the very first time in the history of the club that the stadium was fully sold-out. The most popular choice of the sporting director Ralf Rangnick as head coach for the remainder of the season was the former Mainz 05 coach Thomas Tuchel however, negotiations with Tuchel did not go well. Another possible candidate could have been Bayer Leverkusen junior coach Sascha Lewandowski, however he also turned down the opportunity. In May 2015, sports director Ralf Rangnick was named as the new head coach for the summer and alongside Achim Beierlorzer working as his assistant. Ralf Rangnick was scheduled to hold the double role for a single season. RB Leipzig finished the 2014-15 2. Bundesliga season fifth in the table.

Prior to the 2015-16 season RB Leipzig invested further in expanding the team. They signed Davie Selke of Werder Bremen, Atinc Nukan from Besiktas, Marcel Halstenberg from FC St. Pauli and Willi Orban as of 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Selke was purchased for EUR8 million. Nukan with an approximate EUR5 million, and Halstenberg with an approximate EUR3 million. Additionally, Joshua Kimmich was sold to Bayern Munich and Rodnei left to join 1860 Munich as free agent. RB Leipzig also made transfers with its non-official sister club, FC Red Bull Salzburg. Like many times in the past the three players were transferred for free including one of them was the Austrian nation's Stefan Ilsanker. In addition, Massimo Bruno, and Marcel Sabitzer, returning to RB Leipzig from being on loan. The transfers caused outrage among supporters at FC Red Bull Salzburg. Over the past few years, FC Red Bull Salzburg transferred several of its top athletes into RB Leipzig. The fans from FC Red Bull Salzburg were in the crowd singing chants at RB Leipzig during a game in the OFB-Cup in April of 2015, following Austrian media had reported Stefan Ilsanker could move to Leipzig in the summer.

RB Leipzig remained undefeated in the first 13 league games in the season 2016-17, breaking the record of the longest streak of undefeated of a team promoted into the Bundesliga. The team ended the 11th gameday in first spot, and was one of the teams from the region of the former East Germany to hold the top spot in the 1991-92 Bundesliga season that was when Hansa Rostock stood at first spot on August 31, 1991. The position remained for three matchdays before resigning the title following a defeat against FC Ingolstadt.

Leipzig was their first Bundesliga debutant since German reunion and qualification for the European tournament following a 4-0 win over SC Freiburg on 15 April 2017. They were also one of the teams from the region of the former East Germany to qualify for the European tournament since the 1st of April. FC Union Berlin qualified for the 2001-02 UEFA Cup. In the following year, Leipzig managed to qualify for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League after beating Hertha BSC 4-1 at the Olympiastadion on May 6, 2017, just two days prior to the date of the club's move to Bundesliga.

The next year, Leipzig finished in 6th place and made it to in the finals for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League competition, following the transfer out of the previous 2017-18 UEFA Champions League group stage that was concluded in third position. On May 16, the 16th of May Ralph Hasenhuttl resigned as coach after the request for an extension of his contract was rejected. Prior to the start of the new seasonbegan, Rangnick became the the new coach for one year, and was to be replaced by Julian Nagelsmann before the start in the season 2019-20. RB Leipzig finished the 2018-19 Bundesliga season in third place with a total of 66 points. They qualified for the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League. Additionally, after a victory over Hamburger SV on 23 April 2019 ensured that RB Leipzig reached the DFB-Pokal final for the first time where they had to play Bayern Munich on 25 May. But, RB Leipzig were defeated by Bayern Munich 3-0. On the 1st of June, the 1st of June, Rangnick made an announcement of his departure as the sporting director of RB Leipzig after seven years and was transferred into the Red Bull company as "Head of Sport and Development Soccer". His successor as director of sport was Markus Krosche.

The 2019-20 UEFA Champions League, RB Leipzig won their group, beating Lyon, Benfica and Zenit Saint Petersburg. After defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 on aggregate in the Round of 16 Leipzig followed up to win 2-1 against Atletico Madrid, in the quarterfinals due to the last-minute goal scored by American midfielder Tyler Adams to reach the semi-finals at the very first time in the history of the competition. Then, RB Leipzig lost 3-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.

Under the guidance of coach Domenico Tedesco, RB Leipzig reached the semi-finals in the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League, in which they lost to Rangers 3-1 on aggregate and also won their first major trophy at the DFB-Pokal Final 4-2 with penalty kicks with SC Freiburg. On the 30th of July in 2022 RB Leipzig faced Bayern Munich in their first DFL Supercup at the Red Bull Arena in which they fell 5-3. On September 7, 2022 Tedesco got sacked after the loss at home of 4-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk, in the first game in the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League.

RB Leipzig play in the traditional white and red colours associated with Red Bull football teams. The crests that were proposed for the time of its founding have been rejected by Saxony Football Association (SFV) since they were considered replicas of the corporate branding that is owned by Red Bull GmbH. The team thus started its inaugural season from 2009-2010 without the logo. RB Leipzig later proposed a new crest that was ultimately accepted by SFV in May 2010. The logo was slightly different to the crests that were used for different Red Bull football teams. The two bulls were modified in shape and had some strokes were added. The crest was in use since during the 2011-11 Regionalliga season until the close of 2013-14's 3. Liga season. The league was, however, turned down from the German Football League (DFL) in the licensing process in the 2013-14 2. Bundesliga season. In the course of a settlement with the DFL the club was able to redesign its crest , and adopted new crests. This crest appears vastly distinct from the other crests that are used in the other Red Bull football teams, however, it's similar to the modified crest utilized for FC Red Bull Salzburg for international matches , and also due to UEFA rules. Yellow suns have been altered to footballs and the initials "RasenBallsport" are now moved to the lower part of the crest, and have been removed from being visible in red.

RB Leipzig played its inaugural season in 2009-10 at Stadion am Bad in Markranstadt. The stadium had 5,000 seats and was the main home ground for SSV Markranstadt. It was planned that the team's first team would move quickly to the much bigger Zentralstadion which was expected to be completed in the year 2010, following an upgrade towards the Regionalliga. Red Bull GmbH reserved the right to name the stadium from the time of the time of the club's formation, meaning that it was not able to be transferred to any other person. The company was able to negotiate the purchase of the right to name in the 2009-2010 season and the new names was decided by the city of Leipzig on the 25th of March, 2010. Red Bull GmbH then acquired the right to name as well as the Zentralstadion was changed to "Red Bull Arena" 1 July 2010. The contract will run through 2040. The official inauguration took place on July 24, 2010 in a friendly match with Schalke 04 before a crowd of 21,566.

Red Bull Arena had a capacity of 44,345 seats in this season. In March of 2015, RB Leipzig announced that it would invest 5 million euros into an upgrade of the stadium, which included the expansion of the pressbox, VIP area and spaces for wheelchairs. Additionally, it included two larger LED score boards as well as renovated facilities for players. The VIP area was enlarged from 700 seats to 1400 seats. Its capacity at Red Bull Arena was reduced to 42,959 seats prior the 2015-16 season began, due to the renovation of different areas of the stadium.

The Red Bull Arena was an all-seater arena for a long duration. The home supporters are in the sector B. At the general assembly of the union's supporters at the end of 2014 council demanded the conversion of the sector into an official standing space. But, it was thought impossible to convert the sector to a standing space in the moment, due to reasons of structural design. Sector B was later transformed into a standing space during the 2021-22 season.

The 29th of July, 2011's first round win 3-2 against VfL Wolfsburg was the club's debut at the DFB-Pokal and the 31,212 people who were present, which was a new attendance record at this event at Red Bull Arena. The record did not last for very long; on October 2011, Leipzig lost 1-0 to FC Augsburg, this second-round match from the DFB-Pokal set an attendance record of 34,341 people.

The final home game of the 2013-2014 3. Liga season on May 3rd 2014 offered a chance to RB Leipzig to secure direct advancement up to 2. Bundesliga; Leipzig romped home with a 5-1 win over 1. FC Saarbrucken in a near-sell out capacity Red Bull Arena, in the presence of a record attendance of 42,713. The 43,348 people who watched in the final round of 2014-15 DFB-Pokal match against VfL Wolfsburg on 4 March 2015, were able to sell all the seats in all seats at Red Bull Arena for the first time. This set the current record of an event held at the Red Bull Arena as of 2016.

RB Leipzig holds two attendance records. Its 2011 Saxony Cup final against Chemnitzer FC on June 1, 2011. The Red Bull Arena was attended by 13,958 fans. The crowd was the record for the Saxony Cup final. It was broken two years after again, in a final that featured RB Leipzig and Chemnizer FC. This year's Saxony Cup final against Chemnitzer FC on May 15 in the Red Bull Arena was attended by 16,864 people. The record for attendance held by RB Leipzig was set during the 2012-13 season in the process of qualifying to play in the 3. Liga. The qualifier match with Sportfreunde Lotte on 29 May 2013 at the Red Bull Arena was attended by 30,104 people. The attendance was an all-time record for a game in the fourth class in the German football league system.

RB Leipzig played its hundredth match at the Red Bull Arena on 4 October 2015. The match was played against 1. FC Nurnberg. In the year 2000 the club had reported an attendance of 1,464,215 fans which is an average attendance of 14,643 fans in Red Bull Arena. Red Bull Arena.

They played their first Bundesliga home match took place on the 10th of September, 2016 against Borussia Dortmund in front of 42,558 people. In their first season the team averaged 41,454 fans, or 97 percent of the stadium's capacity.

On October 14, 2014 German press reported on the fact that FC Bayern München was planning to increase to the Red Bull Arena to 55,000 seats to accommodate future first division Bundesliga games. The expansion of the stadium to 55,000 seats will make the arena one of the top ten football stadiums in Germany. Who would finance the expansion was not clear. German media suggested an option to have Red Bull GmbH buy the stadium and invest in the stadium itself. However, it was also believed to be unlikely that the owner would be willing to let the venue go which was recently generating profits.

The club previously had set aside a space close to the A14 motorway that runs north of Leipzig near the Leipzig/Halle Airport. It could be used for the construction of the stadium completely from scratch. It could be used to put pressure on the owners of the Red Bull Arena to agree to the expansion. In March 2015 German media reported that the club was considering building a new stadium in the north of Leipzig. The stadium could be modelled after it's predecessor, the Veltins-Arena situated in Gelsenkirchen and in the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, with a much bigger capacity than the Red Bull arena. It could have with possibly with up to an 80,000-seat capacity.

The director of Red Bull Arena, Michael Kolmel has commented on plans to build a brand new stadium in an interview August 2015. Kolmel pointed out that the construction of a new stadium on outside of Leipzig could harm the fan base, and suggested it was possible that Red Bull Arena could be extended to 55,000 seats or perhaps greater.

In October of 2015, the expansion of Red Bull Arena was back on the agenda. The plans were revised to increase the capacity of the arena to 57,000 seatsand involve Viennese designer Albert Wimmer. Construction could begin over the summer break in 2016. In January of 2016 the club decided to put plans off, at least until 2017.

In February of 2016, German newspaper Leipziger Volkszeitung said that the club's management has was considering the possibility of constructing the new stadium that has the capacity of 80,000 seats in the north region of Leipzig. The only condition for such a plan is that ticket sales surpasses the seats available within the Red Bull Arena significantly and in a sustainable manner. A move to a brand new arena could be feasible in 2020, as the current contract for the club for the lease of Red Bull Arena expires.

In December of 2016, RB Leipzig offered that the stadium was to be sold by the its former manager Michael Kolmel to the club to carry on the plans of the agenda for 2015. Because of that transfer, which brought the arena to the control from Red Bull, a new stadium could not be planned. The plan was that the stadium could be extended to 53,840 seats in the summer of 2021. This was to begin in the month of November, 2018, which is when the construction work began. But the plans were altered during construction, and the work to expand is completed by 2021, with an overall seating capacity of 47,069 people with 37,069 seats. be seated at national games.

In 2010 Red Bull announced its intention to stay in Leipzig. In this regard, the club wanted a suitable location for an training centre and an academy for youth. In the final months in the season, they formulated clear plan to spend 30million euros into an training center that would include six pitches as well as offices and an academy for youth. The training facility was planned to be built in Cottaweg and was located partly in the land of the naturally preserved riparian forests Leipziger Auwald and the site of the annual fair Leipziger Kleinmesse. The plans faced opposition and objections from environmental groups as well as from current inhabitants of the site, the Leipzig fairground association, as well as the soccer club BSV Schonau 1983. After discussions and discussions, both the City of Leipzig accepted the plans on December 15th 2010. RB Leipzig and the city of Leipzig in the following days declared that the team would to invest in the area of 92,000 square meters.

The project was done in two stages and started in March 2011. In the initial phase, 3 natural turf fields, an artificial turf pitch, and an artificial hill to facilitate physical training were constructed. Each pitch was fitted with floodlights, an irrigation system, and soil heating. The pitch one was also equipped with four 38-meter towers that produced HD-compatible lighting for the best broadcasts on television. Bathrooms, locker rooms as well as weight room were set up in 60 containers totalling the area of 720 square meters. The first segment of the center for training was inaugurated in August of 2011.

Construction of the second stage was launched at the beginning of January in 2014. Plans for the next phase of construction were formulated to establish one of Germany's biggest training facilities for an estimated price in the region of 35 millions euros. One of the architects involved in the project was the Dortmund engineer Christoph Helbich, who had previously participated in the construction of a brand new training facility in the name of Borussia Dortmund. The second phase of the project the training facility was to be upgraded by two pitches, a space to practice goalkeeping and a three-story 13,500 sq meters sports complexthat was designed to provide amenities that are accessible to the entire RB Leipzig teams, from the U8 squad to the professional squad. Furthermore pitch one was planned to be equipped with a covered grandstand , with minimum 1,000 seating for B-junior and A-junior games.

The new complex for sports was completed in September 2015 and was used by the professional squad and the six teams of juniors, ranging from U14 up to reserve players. It includes 800 square meters of indoor hall and an indoor track to practice sprints as well as chill chambers, weight rooms as well as a spa area. medical facilities, and individual relaxation rooms for every professional athlete. The complex also has media centers, new offices as well as a boarding school that can accommodate 50 youngsters and a café for fans and parents. It is the RB Leipzig training center with its sports complex is regarded as to be one of the most distinctive and contemporary in Germany.

In the spring of 2016, the grandstand was covered that had 1,000 seats, a space for motor skill-training, as well as parking space. The artificial hill that was used for physical training, affectionately known as"Felix Magath Hill", was constructed "Felix Magath Memorial Hill" was also rebuilt.

The club is already planning to expand the training facility. The club is planning to construct an another pitch towards South of the training facility. This expansion will require additional surface away from the Leipziger Kleinmesse and will be met with a variety of oppositions. There is also a possibility of an expansion of the north side of the training facility. The area is used to train the soccer club BSV Schonau 1983 and the tennis club TC Grun-Weiss Leipzig. BSV Schonau 1983 has a agreement to lease the land for 2026. The club surrendered a part the grounds of RB Leipzig in 2011. The club was paid compensation. In all, RB Leipzig spent 900,000 euros to construct new facilities to accommodate BSC Schonau 1983. The land currently leased to BSV Schonau 1983 is already given for RB Leipzig when the lease contract expires in 2026.

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RB Leipzig has 62 official fanclubs in November 2021. The two first to be officially registered included L.E Bulls and Bulls Club Both were established in 2009. L.E Bulls is the oldest official fanclub, however Bulls Club claims to be the largest. There are several other non-official fan clubs, like Rasenballisten and Rasenballisten as well as Fraktion Red Pride. RB Leipzig also has a minor ultras scene, with groups like Red Aces and Lecrats. In the German paper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reported that RB Leipzig had 5,000 registered supporters as of March 2016.

The various supporters and fan groups have been grouped by the supporter association Fanverband RB Leipzig Fans. The supporter union was formed in 2013. It's an umbrella group for fan clubs that are official in addition to unofficial fan clubs as well as various supporter organizations. There are 25 supporter groups currently registered in the supporter union in the year the year 2016. Every supporter group within the union has two people. The members of the supporter groups are present every four to six weeks. The supporter union also has one general meeting per year. Fans who aren't members of a supporter association are invited to the general gathering. The supporters' union is comprised of up to seven representatives from the fan base elected every two years. A maximum of five representatives are selected by supporters' representatives Two additional representatives are selected through the general assembly. The primary function of representatives of the fans is to serve as a direct liaison with the club. The representatives of the fan can have discussions with officials of the club such as to share suggestions, requests and suggestions from the supporter base. In order to split the duties of the fan representatives, the supporters union has also set up several working groups. First general assembly took place in November 2014 and included 350 supporters. There were also officials from the club including the director of operations Ulrich Wolter.

Many German media outlets have reported on the rise of nonconformist fan groups in Red Bull Arena. Red Bull Arena. The newspaper in January of 2012 Leipziger Internet Zeitung reported on the rise of the ultra-group Red Aces. Red Aces members were reported to be "Rasenballisten" and were determined to transfer their supporter base entirely with Red Bull GmbH. In May 2014, Der Tagesspiegel reported on supporter group IG Rasenballisten. The group was reported to cherish its nickname "RasenBallsport" and is determined to give the team an identity other than that provided through Red Bull GmbH. At the top, they portrayed on display the town of Leipzig. In April 2015 Zeit covered more details about this issue, particularly the supporters organizations IG Rasenballisten and Lecrats. Their underlying concept is called "Rasenballismus" which emphasized the Leipzig image and the significance of passionate fans. Lecrats was described by the media as geared towards anti-commercial values of the ultra-culture and as critiques for Red Bull GmbH. IG Rasenballisten and the ultra groups were said to deliberately not take advantage of reductions applicable to official fan clubs and also to avoid official merchandise of the club and the commercial name for the stadium. In February of 2015 the supporter group IG Rasenballisten became a registered voluntary association. The group previously served as an interest-based community for different organizations and people within the Red Bull Arena. Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reported that the group claims to be a uniting of the most critical and passionate fans who support RB Lepizig. The members of Rasenballisten stated they aren't afraid to critique Red Bull GmbH, when they feel it is necessary. They also said their belief that the identity and character of the team is not dependent solely on the sponsor of the club. The group also has an explicit political statement "Together for Leipzig Together for Leipzig - Rasenball for the fight against Racism". The message can be seen on the scarves sold from the organization, as well as on a banner in the stadium. RB Leipzig had previously refused to permit supporter groups like Rasenballisten the ability to market their merchandise in the stadium. However, following lengthy discussions the club has now granted permission.

The ultra-group Red Aces took position against Legida which is the local offshoot of Pegida at the start of the year. A letter open sent to the club, the stadium's owner as well as the mayor of Leipzig and the residents from Leipzig at the beginning of January the group requested support against the planned demonstration organized by Legida. The protest was planned to begin close to the Red Bull Arena, and the group specifically requested the lights in the stadium to be shut off prior to the protest. The stadium's operator was in agreement with the protest and agreed to turn off the lights. Red Aces had also previously requested permission from the club to put up banners in support of Legida and racism during the final home match of 2014. The club was unable to accept the banners requested as per Red Aces because the club was not interested in politics being displayed within the stadium. However, despite the prohibition, the group held the banner in front of Legida and declared Leipzig as a city that is Leipzig to be diverse, cosmopolitan , and welcoming. As a response to the protests of Legida's supporters, the anti-racist organization Rasenball gegen Rassismus was founded on the initiative of supporter organizations Red Aces, Lecrats, Rabauken - Block 31 and IG Rasenballisten in January 2015. Prior to the home game to SpVgg Greuther Furth on 3 August 2015, Red Aces again asked for permission to show an image of Legida that reads "Ligaspiel and Legida the Montag Montag is a Kotzen da". The club did not approve the banner. In the home match in the match against FC St. Pauli on 23 August 2015, Red Aces defied the apparent ban on anti-racist banners at the stadium by the display of a banner that carried clearly anti-Nazi messages. Director of sport Ralf Rangnick has since stated that there was not a ban against anti-racist signs in stadiums and the message was not allowed prior to the home game against SpVgg Greuther Furth due to the fact that it used abusive language as well as that the team could agree with a fan who would like to put up the banner with a message like "RBL Supporters opposed to Racism".

RB Leipzig supporters travelled in large numbers to the first home match of the year in the match against FC St. Pauli on 12 February the 12th of February, 2016. More than 2500 RB Leipzig supporters made its journey into the Millerntorstadion and waved the red and white flag before the beginning of the match. A larger amount of RB Leipzig supporters accompanied the team to Nuremberg one month after. The home match against 1. FC Nurnberg on 20 March 2016 at the Grundig-Stadion was attended by over 2,800 RB Leipzig supporters, according to the club's statistics. This number is an all-time record for club supporters who were away that was broken in the initial two Bundesliga seasons. Over 7,000 fans attended away games at Dortmund, Munich and Berlin and Munich, setting a record for the away game in Berlin where 8,500 supporters of RBL were present for the game to see their club qualifying in the UEFA Champions League. A year later over 9,000 supporters traveled to Berlin for the final away match for the 2018-19 season, in Berlin.

The organisation Fanprojekt Leipzig was founded in 2011 through the an initiative from the City of Leipzig and is managed by Outlaw gGmbH Full name: Outlaw gemeinnutzige Gesellschaft fur Kinder- und Jugendhilfe mbH. Outlaw gGmbH is an Munster non-profit organization based in Munster, Germany. Its mission is the welfare of children and young people. The fundamental framework of Fanprojekt Leipzig was concluded by the City of Leipzig, the Free State of Saxony and the German Football Association (DFB) The organization also receives funds through DFB, the Free State of Saxony and City of Leipzig and the DFB.

Fanprojekt Leipzig is an organization that caters to young football fans from several clubs in Leipzig and functions as an independent organization to support the various clubs. The primary goals of the organization is to promote an environment of positive support as well as preventing violence for youth supporters who are in trouble situations, and developing an open communication among all those that are involved, including fans, clubs and police. Fanprojekt Leipzig is part of an extensive network of similar Fanprojects across a variety of German cities. The various Fanprojekts are coordinated by a national coordinate Office (KOS).

Fanprojekt Leipzig runs a number of centers in Leipzig that are used for various purposes, such as leisure activities as well as content-related projects, painting and creating minor choreographies as well as gathering places. Each club is provided with organisation provides an pedagogue or social worker who is a solely for those who support the club. The club organizes numerous activities for education and recreation that include sporting events and creative projects, as well as discussions, readings, and other educational programmes. The organization is active on match days, and it can be reached for personal contact with supporters, police officers and law enforcement personnel, in order to be capable of mediating between parties and to have a de-escalating impact.

RB Leipzig entered a cooperation agreement with Fanprojekt Leipzig in 2013. The agreement enables collaboration in eight different categories which include home and away matches and also anti-racism activities. The cooperation agreement in its entirety was a first in Germany. Furthermore, RB Leipzig formed a stadium ban commission, where Fanprojekt Leipzig provides advice to the club. Fanprojekt Leipzig has also arranged several events during which fans can debate the progress of the supporters scene and whose outcomes are reported to the club.

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RasenballSport Leipzig e.V is a registered association of voluntary nature. The body that runs the organization's executive is called the Vorstand and its management committee. Management board members are appointed by Ehrenrat The honorary board. It also has a subordinate position to the Aufsichtsrat that is the supervision board. Honorary boards are chosen directly by members of the club at the general assembly.

Major organizational changes were implemented in 2014 as a result of the requirements created through the German Football League (DFL). One of the demands was to alter the composition of the organizational bodies. The management board and the honorary board were made up of agents or employees from Red Bull. This was in stark contrast to the basic rules in the fifty-one rule according to the DFL and is designed to prevent the influence of third-party entities on the decisions made by an organization. In an agreement with the DFL the club signed an obligation-based declaration to ensure that the board of management was to be composed of an overwhelming majority of individuals who are independent and independent of Red Bull.

A supervisory board was created. The honorary board has performed functions normally handled by a separate control organsitive body. These duties were then transferred to a newly-created supervisory board, which is able to perform these functions independently. The club decided to move the members who were previously on the honorary board onto the new supervisory board.

It is the association responsible for the men's junior teams starting from U8 until U14, as well as all women's soccer teams.

The voting membership of RasenballSport Leipzig is extremely restricted. As with other associations football clubs in Germany There isn't an formal procedure to be a voting members in RasenballSport Leipzig e.V. Based on Ulrich Wolter, the club does not aim to match the number of members in other clubs. Wolter has also cited other clubs in which Ultras have achieved success in creating structures, and said that the club is determined to stay clear of such situations.

To be an association registered as a voluntary organization An association is legally required to be required by German laws to be composed of at minimum seven members. In the four years following its creation the club was only nine members, who were all employed by Red Bull. The registration cost for membership was 100 euros, with the annual fee for membership was 800 euros, compared the club's rival Bayern Munich who, by the time of this writing, had membership with annual fees ranging from 30 to 60 euros. Additionally the person who is willing to pay for the membership fee cannot anticipate becoming a member as the board of management can reject an application with no notice.

The restrictive membership policy was met with opposition, and one of the first requirements that were imposed in the DFL so that they could get an official license for the 2014-2015 2. Bundesliga season, was cut the cost of membership and make the association more accessible to new members. The club reacted to pressure of the DFL and announced changes to its membership in June of 2014. There is now a possibility for any person to become an official support member. The annual cost for this kind of membership ranges from 70-1000 euros. The membership helps to encourage junior football in the clubs. As a result, a support member is granted certain privileges, including a visit with the professional team as well as an exercise session in the Red Bull Arena. Members who are supported can also attend general meetings but they are not able to vote. In order to increase participation within the organization, the supporting members have a single member on the supervision board.

On the 2nd of December, 2014, the general assembly of the association unanimously voted to establish an organization that spins off that will be an GmbH. The vote was made in an extraordinary meeting. There were 14 members voting as well as 40 members who were supporting. Chairperson Oliver Mintzlaff stated that the change was made in order for the club to to grow professionally and be competitive. RasenballSport Leipzig GmbH RasenballSport Leipzig GmbH is responsible for the professional team along with the reserve team as well as men's junior teams starting at U15 to.

As of the year 2015, Red Bull GmbH is the primary investor in RasenballSport Leipzig GmbH which holds 100 percent of shares. The remainder is owned by the group. As per the rule 50 1 formal power rests in the hands of the association, which holds all the votes.

In April of 2016 as of April 2016, the director general at RasenballSport Leipzig GmbH is Oliver Mintzlaff.

The kits of RB Leipzig were initially supplied by German brand of sportswear Adidas since the club's inception. Since 2014, the team changed to American brand of sportswear, Nike under an agreement that is in place until 2025. On October 4, 2014, the team signed agreements for promotional deals that included Hugo Boss, Porsche as youth sponsor as well as Volkswagen for stadium advertising. On May 20, the 20th of May RB Leipzig extended its agreement to Krostitzer Brauerei to be its official beer partner until the year 2018.

In March 2020 RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Bayer Leverkusen, the four German UEFA Champions League teams for the 2019-20 season collectively contributed EUR20 millions to Bundesliga and two. Bundesliga teams who were struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 2 September 2022

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Statistics correct as of 11 August 2022.

• Players with 100 appearances or more are listed.
• Appearances include league matches at professional level in the German football league system (Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga and 3. Liga).
• Appearances include substitute appearances.
• Players marked in bold are still playing for the club.

Statistics correct as of 11 August 2022.

• Players with 50 goals or more are listed.
• Players marked in bold are still playing for the club.

• Only captains in competitive matches are included.
• Players marked in bold are still playing in the professional team.

Captain	Nationality	Years	Notes
Ingo Hertzsch	Germany	2009–2010
Tim Sebastian	Germany	2010–2011
Daniel Frahn	Germany	2011–2015
Dominik Kaiser	Germany	2015–2017
Willi Orban	Hungary	2017–2020
Marcel Sabitzer	Austria	2020–2021
Péter Gulácsi	Hungary	2021–

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As of 5 March 2022

Position	Name	Notes
Manager	Marco Rose
Assistant manager	Frank Geideck  Alexander Zickler
First-team coach	Marco Kurth
Goalkeeping coach	Frederik Gößling
Athletic coach	Daniel Behlau
Athletic coach	Ruwen Faller
Athletic coach	Kai Kraft
Sporting coordinator	Felix Krüger
Team manager	Babacar N'Diaye
Head of match analysis	Fabian Friedrich
Head of medicine & sports science	Dr. Helge Riepenhof
Head of sports science	Jack Nayler
Team doctor	Dr. Robert Percy Marshall
Team doctor	Dr. Frank Striegler
Team doctor	Jan-Niklas Droste
Mental performance coach	Peter Schneider

Notes

1. Interim coach.

In their first season in the German top league, RB Leipzig gained entry to continental football for the first time, specifically in the 2017.18 UEFA Champions League. RB Leipzig is one of the very few clubs in the history of football to have qualified for the Champions League so soon (eight years) following its establishment. The tournament was also the first time that Red Bull Salzburg qualify as Austrian champions. This led to the discussion of a potential Conflict of Interest between both clubs due to the amount of influence exercised through Red Bull over both teams and the close relationship between them in different aspects. After reviewing the organizational structures in June 2017 UEFA declared that they were satisfied with their rules that the two club (particularly Salzburg) were suitably distinct of the Red Bull corporation, and sufficiently different from one another to be allowed access to participate in competitions.

In the season that followed that decision, both reached the quarterfinals during the 2017-2018 UEFA Europa League but did not face each other and saw RB Leipzig eliminated by Olympique de Marseille who later defeated Salzburg during the semifinals. But, in the subsequent edition of the same tournament, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg were grouped in Group B, where they met in a competitive match in the very first match. Salzburg won in both matches between the two clubs (3-2 in Germany and 1-1 at home in Austria) and additionally, they took all of their other matches to finish top of the group however, Leipzig was unable to advance having lost points to Celtic as well as Rosenborg.

As of 6 September 2022

Competition	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win%
UEFA Champions League	31	14	4	13	53	57	−4	45.16
UEFA Europa League	24	11	7	6	40	30	10	45.83
Total	55	25	11	19	93	87	6	45.45

Source: UEFA.com, Last updated on 6 September 2022

Notes

• 2QR: Second qualifying round
• 3QR: Third qualifying round
• KRPO: Knockout round play-offs
• R32: Round of 32
• R16: Round of 16
• QF: Quarter-finals
• SF: Semi-finals

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League

• Regionalliga Nordost (IV)
  • Champions: 2012–13
• NOFV-Oberliga Süd (V)
  • Champions: 2009–10

Cup

• DFB-Pokal
  • Winners: 2021–22
• Saxony Cup
  • Winners: 2010–11, 2012–13

UEFA Champions League

• Semi-finalists: 2019–20

UEFA Europa League

• Semi-finalists: 2021–22

The following clubs are currently affiliated with RB Leipzig:

•  FC Red Bull Salzburg (2009–present)
•  New York Red Bulls (2009–present)
•  Red Bull Brasil (2009–present)
•  Red Bull Bragantino (2020–present)
•  FC Goa (2020–present)[308]

The following clubs were affiliated with RB Leipzig in the past:

•  SSV Markranstädt (2009–2010)
•  Red Bull Ghana (2009–2014)
•  ESV Delitzsch (2010–2011)

The creation of RB Leipzig has caused much controversy in Germany. The issue has been centered around its apparent connection to Red Bull GmbH and the strict membership policy. This is seen as a reversal of the norm in Germany where football clubs have historically relied on voluntary associations, which have sometimes a many members. The 50 1 rule has ensured that members of clubs are legally able to control the club. RB Leipzig has been criticized for its alleged origins to promote marketing and for allegedly taking the commercialization that is football's practice within Germany to a whole new standard. It has also been criticized as being a "marketing club" as well as one that is a "commercial club" or as a "plastic club". The criticisms have been all-encompassing. The criticism has been spotted in the club's management as well as supporters and coaches of other clubs.

The announcement to RB Leipzig was met with protests by supporters of other Leipzig football clubs, most notably 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig and FC Sachsen Leipzig. They feared the decline of the traditional fan culture of Leipzig and also the commercialization of soccer throughout the city. Following the announcement that the partnership of SSV Markranstadt SSV Markranstadt had become known as a protest, it was immediately spotted within Leipzig suburbs. Red Bull advertising boards at the Stadion am Bad in Markranstadt were covered in graffiti, and the field was destroyed by a weedkiller. In protests, Leipzig were generally peaceful. In spite of RB Leipzig playing its inaugural season in 2009-2010 in the league of FC Lokomotive Leipzig and FC Sachsen Leipzig The criticism coming from these clubs was mild. FC Lokomotive Leipzig chairman Steffen Kubald, however, stated that the game between them and RB Leipzig would for each team be the most important match of the season. Kubald also stated the fact that RB Leipzig was the "Bayern Munich of the Oberliga".

Its German economics professor Dr. Tobias Kollman said in 2009 that he believed Red Bull GmbH as a business with clear goals in the field of economics for its initiatives. Therefore the company was described by Kollman as RB Leipzig as a "marketing club" and stated that it was the very first of its type in Germany. He also called the actions that were carried out by Red Bull GmbH in Leipzig as a "sports political quake" that was taking place in Germany. Borussia Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke and Eintracht Frankfurt chairman Heribet Bruchhagen warned in 2013 that clubs that are backed by large corporations or patrons with strong financials could threaten the whole Bundesliga and referred to an "clash in culture". They claimed that such clubs are repressing traditional clubs they warned RB Leipzig could well be the next one to force a traditional club from the Bundesliga. Hans-Joachim watzke had stated the year 2014, that he saw RB Leipzig as behaving "morally inexplicably" regarding its transfer policy, which is in close collaboration together with FC Red Bull Salzburg, and also criticized its hiring for Marcel Sabitzer. Hans-Joachim Watzke has nevertheless said that he wasn't opposed to RB Leipzig, that he would be happy to have an Bundesliga club that is based in Saxony in addition to saying believes that RB Leipzig was warmly welcome provided that it was governed by the German Football Association (DFB) makes sure that the club complies in accordance with "democratic regulations of the game" and that the club funds the operation itself. Peter Neururer has been a more vocal critic. As the head coach of VfL Bochum, he said in 2014 that RB Leipzig "made him sick" and that he believed the club to be based around purely economic interests. He also complained that playing in the same league as RB Leipzig was not a fair trade, as the club could sign players they wanted and such contests "had no connection with the sport we all love".

RB Leipzig and Red Bull GmbH have been met with protests by groups of supporters across Germany. Fans of traditional clubs have viewed RB Leipzig as a symbol of the triumph of profit over tradition and have criticized the club for being it is a "plastic club". They have voiced their displeasure at the commercialization of football and the apparent involvement in the activities of Red Bull GmbH and the apparent lack of democracy at RB Leipzig.

Following RB Leipzig gained promotion to 2. Bundesliga during 2014, fan groups of ten clubs from the 2. Bundesliga launched a campaign against the club. The campaign was dubbed "Nein zu RB" ("No to RB"). Since then, a variety of groups from across Germany have joined in the campaign. In March of 2015 the website for the campaign listed 182 supporters groups representing 29 clubs.

In away games the club has often been met with protests in different types. When the club played away against 1. FC Union Berlin on 21 September 2014, home supporters were wearing black plastic ponchos and remained silent for first 15 minutes of the game. The banners hung by the home supporters read: "In Leipzig, the football culture is dying". Another banner said: "Football needs workers' participation and loyalty standing terraces, emotional and financial fair play the tradition of transparency, integrity and passion, as well as the past, and independence". The creators of Union's matchday show came up with an amusing protest to the visit of RB Leipzig in August by replacing the usual page that would devote to the team that is visiting with an article about the historical background of the bull farming. In the game in the match against FC Erzgebirge Aue on 6 February 2015, supporters from the home team displayed banners that included a comparison of Dietrich Mateschitz to Adolf Hitler and the fans who were supporters of RB Leipzig to blind Nazi supporters. FC Erzgebirge Aue was later punished with 35,000 euros from the DFB for the banners. When they played away against 1. FC Heidenheim on 18 September 2015, the bus carrying the players was greeted upon entrance to the venue by fans of 1. FC Heidenheim who pelted the bus with counterfeit dollars featuring a caricature of Dietrich Mateschitz, depicted with a large , hooked nose, and the words "Scheiss Red Bull" ("Shitty Red Bull") and "In Capitalism he trusts". The incident later was the subject of a police probe for possible violation of traffic safety as well as for the impression.

In the home game against FC Hansa Rostock on 23 November 2013, away fans protested by being completely absent for the initial seven minutes during the game and then thronging the guest block with a large number of supporters. The same protest was performed at the home game against 1. FC Union Berlin on 19 February, 2016. Other fan clubs in Germany have completely refused to travel to away games in Red Bull Arena. Red Bull Arena.

On occasion the protests have escalated to violence or threats. RB Leipzig had to cancel three of its friendly matches in July 2009 due to reasons of security. The first league game in the away match from FC Carl Zeiss Jena II on August 8, 2009, riots broke out after the police dismantled an obstruction to block players' buses from getting into the stadium. The bus was sprayed by bottles, and police were forced to use pepper spray to stop them. The players were irritated by the thugs, spat on and assaulted using beer cups throughout warm-ups, and was forced to leave the stadium under a an escort from the police after the game. When the team played away in the match against Hallescher FC on 19 July 2013, the bus carrying players was also attacked. The riots continued after the match , when the home crowd attempted to breach the security fence to get closer to supporters from away. Some fireworks and other items were thrown towards police, and four officers were injured in the tumult. In the days before the away game with Karlsruher SC on 9 March 2015, a number of members from RB Leipzig received letters, informally warning them of violence if they chose to join the team from Karlsruhe. On the night prior to the game at night, the foyer of the hotel for players in Karlsruhe was smashed by local thugs.

Numerous football clubs, like VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Nurnberg, TSV 1860 Munich, 1. FC Union Berlin, FC Erzgebirge Aue, Kickers Offenbach, Chemnitzer FC and KSV Hessen Kassel have all been forced to cancel matches in their friendly games with RB Leipzig, due to protests from their supporters.

There are critics who can be found among supporters from RB Leipzig. The group of supporters Rasenballisten claims to unite those who are critical of supporters. The members of the group have said their belief that the character of a team can not solely be based on its sponsor. In addition, the group has criticised Red Bull GmbH for dominating the public image of the club. The group instead wants to promote that the brand logo RasenBallsport in addition to the Leipzig name.

The representatives of Red Bull GmbH and RB Leipzig and others have expressed their opinions on the issue and have responded to criticism. Director of Sporting Ralf Rangnick has pointed out the fact that investors and sponsors are in other clubs as well. He has asked in a rhetorical way what was the difference with respect to the commitments from Audi AG and Adidas AG at FC Bayern Munich, and the commitment of Red Bull GmbH at RB Leipzig? He acknowledged the existence of a distinction: FC Bayern Munich first achieved success in the sport followed by sponsors and investors followed. But he maintained that what was happening at VfL Wolfsburg in addition to Bayer Leverkusen was exactly the similar and that VfL Wolfsburg was crowned German champions at the end of 2009 to a significant degree due to the financial assistance from Volkswagen AG. Dietrich Mateschitz said in 2009 that the commitment to sports to Red Bull GmbH was indeed distinct from the commitment to sports of other businesses. He said that when a firm is involved to sports, it's engaged in the sport operations in and of itself. He further stated in 2007 that when a company is involved to sports, it integrates and accountable for athletic performance with a goal to create the brand's identity of the brand as well as the sport. Director general Ulrich Wolter said in 2013 that Dietrich Mateschitz was not an Oligarch or Sheikh who invests in a toy company however, he is someone who strives to achieve success by making a an ongoing, sustainable and long-term involvement in youth and professional football. Ulrich Wolter has also commented on the profile of the club, and claimed that it is normal for sponsors to seek to make their name known.

It is believed that the policy of limiting membership was enacted to protect this club from getting taken over by a group of hostile supporters. The general manager Ulrich Wolter commented on the restriction on membership in 2013 and stated the club was determined to provide the highest amount of legal security to its investors. He also noted the circumstances that been prevalent at other clubs had not been beneficial to their growth. Writer Matthias Kiessling, who has been covering RB Leipzig continually since 2010,[366wrote about the restrictive membership policy in 2013 . He claimed that the highly praised membership systems of other clubs was merely a pro forma system but that now participation occurs through different methods, like social media. RB Leipzig and club supporters have, since the time of the club's establishment, repeatedly developed processes to facilitate participation and interaction. The club signed a cooperation agreement with the fan organization Fanprojekt Leipzig in 2013, and also, the club has an open dialogue with the supporters' representatives from the supporter Union Fanverband RB Leipzig Fans.

Each Dietrich Mateschitz and sporting director Ralf Rangnick have made remarks regarding transfer policies. Dietrich Mateschitz commented on the football involvement to Red Bull GmbH in 2007 and stated that the company was "no good star buyers". When he spoke to Austrian sports site Sportnet in 2010, he stated: "I am not Abramovich. We do what we attempt to accomplish using our brains. It is not difficult to grab a bag of cash and shop. This is a mistake, and we're not". In an interview with the German publication Leipziger Volkszeitung in 2013 he added: "It is not about an event, and to be as quickly as is possible into the Bundesliga with the most mercenaries possible it is about the development of healthy players and healthy growth. Also, as many of our own players as we can". Director of sport Ralf Rangnick expressed his opinion on their transfer policies in 2013,. He declared it was true that RB Leipzig was actually fishing in a small pool and only signing players between 17 to 23 years old, in addition, RB Leipzig was the only club within the 2. Bundesliga which did not sign any players from other clubs within the league. The creation of a strong youth academy has been a key element of the long-term plan for the club since the beginning of its existence. Dietrich Mateschitz said in 2009 that he was hoping that most of the players on the professional team of the future would be from the team's own academy. Director Ulrich Wolter said in 2013 that the club was planning to create the "Eastern lighthouse" in order to ensure that youngsters from eastern Germany will not have relocate to the west of the country to grow. The work of the youth of RB Leipzig received much praise from the German Football League (DFL) in 2014.

A number of people have reacted to the criticism from RB Leipzig as a "plastic club" with no tradition. Director of sport Joachim Krug said in 2009 that RB Leipzig was simply a new club with high expectations. The head coach Tino Vogel stated that eventually the new tradition will begin. The supporters from RB Leipzig were noted for holding banners that read "Let the tradition start" in the initial match in 2009 as well as manager Dieter Gudel suggested at the time in 2010 that RB Leipzig could well write "Tradition since 2009" on its pennants. Dietrich Mateschitz said in 2013 that the only difference between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich was that they had one 100 years' tradition and that in five hundred years RB Leipzig will be five hundred years old, and FC Bayern Munich six hundred years old. This meant it was likely that RB Leipzig will one day become a club that is traditional.

Director of sport Ralf Rangnick said his 2012 declaration that there are benefits to working at an unestablished club with no deeply-rooted traditions. He pointed out that changes to the structure and staffing decision-making could be executed rapidly and with a lot of flexibility in RB Leipzig, since there no formal hierarchies, and there is less resistance in the workplace. He added that he has seen plenty of instances of clubs that aren't making it anywhere. He stated that for his mind, what was important was if there was a sustainable and working system and a guiding philosophy. The president of the DFB Wolfgang Niersbach said in 2014 in regards to the traditional clubs of Leipzig: "If the big traditional clubs haven't managed to establish a solid way to get back into professional football over the last few years and decades, then no one should be complaining if an alternative approach is adopted and it also results in the success".

RB Leipzig has also received favorable reviews and positive feedback. The entrepreneur Michael Kolmel, owner of the Zentralstadion In 2009, he stated in 2009 that Red Bull GmbH was a enormous chance for Leipzig. Kolmel has also claimed that, ultimately, other clubs of Leipzig are going to benefit greatly from RB Leipzig. He also said that youngsters are likely to stay in the region and the overall quality for football within Leipzig will increase. Leipzig Vice Mayor Heiko Rosenthal stated at the time in 2010 that RB Leipzig was the "best thing" that could occur to the economic development of Leipzig. Rosenthal further stated the reasons why RB Leipzig will draw attention to Leipzig and be an important part of the future representation of economics for the city. Blog author Matthias Kiessling argued in 2011 that Red Bull GmbH was offering an investment that was more long-term than the ones Saxony has seen since the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Leipzig mayor Burkhard Jung claimed at the time that in 2011, the purchase by Red Bull GmbH in Leipzig was an "incredible gesture of the city". Dietrich Mateschitz was awarded the award "Leipziger Lerche" in 2013 for his work in the region. Mayor Burkhard Jung has praised Dietrich Mateschitz as "honest, determined as well as serious". The award ceremony was the first time, attended by the Minister of State for Saxony, Stanislaw Tillich.

Klaus Reichenbach, the chairman of Saxony Football Association (SFV) Klaus Reichenbach expressed optimism about the club's creation. He expressed his hope for top-quality football and also that it would have been beneficial to the entire region as well as eastern Germany. The chairperson of the Northeastern German Football Association (NOFV) Rainer Milkoreit said in 2014 that the move to the 2. Bundesliga of RB Leipzig to the 2. Bundesliga was a major milestone for the eastern part of Germany and that the record attendance in Leipzig demonstrated how long the club has been waiting for. FC Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness told the press on the 11th of November that the model selected for RB Leipzig could be prosperous but it's not necessarily. Hoeness said that decisive could be the best thing that the club could provide its fans. He also said should the model work well, it could be beneficial to all footballers not just soccer in the eastern part of Germany. Uli Hoeness was pleased to congratulate RB Leipzig to its promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 2014, and stated she thought it would be the most beneficial chance for soccer in Leipzig. FC Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer, a native of Dresden In 2014, he stated that he was enthusiastic about the growth of RB Leipzig, and praised the economic benefits it brought to the region. Sammer also resisted the criticisms of "traditionalists" in the form of 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig and BSG Chemie Leipzig after the Wende have been unable to join teams for the benefit for local soccer. Franz Beckenbauer said in 2015 that he was predicting this: RB Leipzig will be dangerous to FC Bayern Munich in 35 years in the event that Red Bull GmbH is ready to invest for a prolonged period of time and said the fact that RB Leipzig was a concept with a potential. VfL Wolfsburg manager Klaus Allofs stated the following year the RB Leipzig was a cast of luck for Leipzig and was a great idea for the city and for German football.

Interviews published in the German publication Bild 2011 officials of various Leipzig soccer clubs discussed the advantages their clubs have gotten from the creation by RB Leipzig. The former FC Sachsen Leipzig liquidator Heiko Kratz clarified that as of 2009 the club was no more financially able to fund its youth academy. However, by selling its junior A to D team the club to RB Leipzig, at least they could provide the players with an opportunity to develop into the future. Holger Nussbaum, from SSV Markranstadt, explained how the financial benefits received from RB Leipzig meant that the club was now able to attract players they would otherwise not have, and it is now working towards the Regionalliga. Ralph Zahn from ESV Delitzsch stated that the financial compensation received from RB Leipzig had made it possible for the club to construct artificial turf equipped with floodlights, at a price around 250,000 Euros.

In a poll conducted in 2009 by Leipziger Volkszeitung in 2009, over 70% of residents of Leipzig were pleased with the investment of Red Bull GmhH in local soccer. It is reported that the Leipziger Volkszeitung has also published the findings from a research that was conducted through Intelligence Research in Sponsorshop (Iris) in the year 2016. The study found that RB Leipzig now ranked third favorite teams within Saxony and Thuringia just behind FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. RB Leipzig also had an rise in five of six image scores. Sympathetic was up 2.8 percent , which was 45.1 percent while native had increased 7.2 percentage to 40.5 percent, credibility had gained 4.8 percentage to 43.8 percent and regionally rooted was in 45.8 percentage, while ambitious been increased by 3.7 percentage to 77.5 percent and enthusiastic had an increase of 5.8 percentage to reach 47.8 percent. A study conducted by Repucom's company Repucom in 2016 found the RB Leipzig had a nationwide growth of 60 percent in radio, press and television. The study also revealed that reports were more objective and more complex.