RB Leipzig with a very good start to the season
In the German Bundesliga a new name has arrived in the form of newly promoted RB Leipzig. The side achieved promotion to the top flight last season, completing a remarkable rise for a very young club.
RB Leipzig was founded by Red Bull GmbH - the energy drink makers in 2009, when Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz purchased fifth-tier team SSV Markranstadt and re-branded them. They have since achieved promotion on four occasions in seven seasons to reach the highest division in the country.
Under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, Leipzig have made a strong start to their debut Bundesliga campaign. They are currently in seventh position after being undefeated in their first five games. They have already overcome last season's runners-up - Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at the Red Bull Arena and trounced Hamburg 4-0 away from home. Leipzig's last result was a 1-1 draw away to FC Koln. The future looks bright for The Red Bulls.
Scottish winger Oliver Burke joined RB Leipzig for £13million last month from Nottingham Forest. The 19-year-old says the club can challenge Bayern Munich and Dortmund's supremacy, boasting facilities that are "some of the best in the world". Burke has made a flying start to life in the Bundesliga, scoring in the first five minutes of his first full game at Cologne. He epitomises the kind of young, exciting talent the club has been attracting.
The city of Leipzig have taken The Red Bulls to their heart, eager to have a team in the top flight they can get behind. The fans of other Bundesliga clubs haven't been quite so receptive, labelling RB Leipzig an "artificial product" and protesting a success they sight as the result of a purely commercial venture by Red Bull.
At the weekend around a hundred Cologne fans obstructed the Leipzig coach in protest, delaying the team's arrival and the game's kick off. Last month, during a cup match, Dynamo Dresden supporters chucked the severed head of a bull onto the pitch to demonstrate their objection. Disapproving banners amongst opposition support have become commonplace at Leipzig games. Despite all the remonstration, boss Hasenhuttl has remained unperturbed, promising the club will "only focus on football".
Christian Heidel - sporting executive at FC Schalke describes RB Leipzig as "the new competitor". He says The Red Bulls have an advantage over smaller Bundesliga clubs because "they have a lot of money" and are "sustainable" because "they don't have to earn it".
While it will take a long time for RB Leipzig to shirk their tag as the 'Most Hated Club in Germany', it is clear that further success on the field is just around the corner. It may be too soon to talk about a title challenge, but a realistic target for this season is to qualify for Europa League football.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are young and full of lively attacking talent. They have already demonstrated they can compete at this level and with a wealth of financial backing, the side will only get stronger. It has been a meteoric rise for Leipzig. Soon they could be a genuine threat to the dominance of champions Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
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