When you think of all that is great about German football and its vibrant fan culture, it is the opposite to what RB Leipzig represents.
Once you scratch the surface, you soon realise why they are so disliked all over the Bundesliga, German football overall and even in their own city where the traditional clubs remain to be Chemie and Lokomotive. Those two are currently doing their thing in the lower leagues, fallen from grace and the GDR heyday like many other eastern based clubs who were left behing after unification and the financial gap that still hasn’t been bridged. That is a whole story in itself.
Leipzig was fertile ground for Red Bull’s German intentions, after being chased away from other cities and clubs such as St Pauli and Eintracht Frankfurt. Just under 15 years later the monster has grown and it is here to stay.
Meaningful fan engagement and stakeholding, fan activity in the stands and in the community, passion, tradition, history, belonging. RBL has very little of this.
An excellent recent article was penned by Hecko Flores for DW, just after last weeks first leg. It captured the mood of this topic with Domenico Tedesco’s team inching nearer to silverware at home and on the continent:
“And, having already seen off Union Berlin to reach the German Cup final, it could be a double shot at glory for the controversial club, just 13 years after its creation by energy drink manufacturer Red Bull and only six years after being promoted to the Bundesliga.”
“Such an astronomic rise would normally be something straight out of a fairy tale, as one local reporter suggested in an interview with a visiting colleague from BBC Scotland ahead of the game, opining that respect and acceptance for RB Leipzig are growing within Germany.”
“German magazine 11Freunde saw things differently, pointing out sarcastically that the rags-to-riches story has been one of, well, riches mostly, breaking transfer records in the lower leagues and shelling out over €460 million on new signings since arriving in the top flight.”
Nein
In terms of the German Cup Final later this month, their opponents Freiburg refused joint branding for promotional material and merchandise – they saw it as their duty with no official explanation but a mantra of:
‘No common cause with the construct” – that is the feeling that still runs deep across German football at this alien, outside, concept which threatens what they hold dear.
Why German football is different. Freiburg have confirmed they will not allow their logo to be used side-by-side with that of DFB-Pokal Finale opponents RB Leipzig in the creation of official scarves or other items for purchase. No official reason given.
— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) May 2, 2022
That includes the 50+1 rule which enshrines fan ownership, democracy and accountability in their national game, which although isn’t as tight as what it once was with some clubs being operated by an ‘AG’ – an associated yet outsourced private owned company, adjacent to the member owned club (FC). Yes, in many ways RBL have truly ‘ripped up the rule book’.
With other football ventures in Salzburg, New York, Ghana and Brazil, where is next for this marketing vulture, propped up by the massive Red Bull empire?
Regardless of where it will be, it won’t be for the good of supporter culture and ultimately, for the game. Money has too much influence as it is, don’t accept RB FC and all that it represents.
They can’t even sell all their tickets.