High Hopes

In 2009, when Red Bull purchased a football team in the German fifth division, they immediately had high hopes in the franchise. If I can say anything about my knowledge, it is that they seem to follow the motto "go big or go home." And they tend to go big. The initial goal was to take the club from the fifth division to the first division (Bundesliga) in 10 years. Well, in 2015, they are currently in the second division - but still with those high hopes.

Yet it has not been all sunshine and rainbows. Many intricate issues have come about, from ownership and legal measures (which I will not focus on so much) to a huge anti-Red Bull movement from opposing fans. Even within the club, there is an enormous amount of pressure to win - always.

In German football, it has been the tradition that clubs are owned by a large majority of stock holders and fans. Yet, Red Bull greatly defied that tradition and has done much navigating to make sure they are adhering to all the rules imposed by the German Football Association. This has caused quite a stir among fans. No opposing fans want to see a company come in and immediately spend millions of euros to try to elevate a single club. In the US, that is often how professional sports operate - big teams have big money and they win. But in Germany, it is not so much the norm. The complete Red Bull overhaul has been met with some strong resistance.

In speaking with a staff member, he told me about how jealous other clubs were of RB Leipzig. RB Leipzig officially stands for RasenBall Sport Leipzig because of certain rules, yet very few people are unaware of what the RB truly represents. The main issue is money. Red Bull has continuously poured money into the club. Just this past winter, RB Leipzig spent the second most amount of money to sign new players in all of German professional football. Other smaller clubs will simply not be able to compete with an organization that operates like that, and other fans and clubs are, from my view, angered mixed with jealous.

The sticker above says "100% Werbung - 0% Fußball" - which translates to "100% Advertising - 0 % football." I found it as I was walking to the match near Red Bull Arena. It speaks a lot, I think, about how others feel about the club. In American professional sports, money is king. The richest teams win. And then, because of that, people love to hate the rich teams. I am sure people all across the US "hate" the Yankees, the Patriots, the LA Lakers, etc. But I think the hatred toward RB Leipzig is different. It is certainly a bit about jealousy - RB Leipzig is spending money and buying players and winning matches. But also, I think it is challenging the entire German football system. 

German football is not about huge companies spending money and challenging anyone to try to stop them. Most clubs stand no chance with the resources that Red Bull has, and they understand that. It is not a rivalry hatred that I see. It is a "you-don't-belong" hatred. Red Bull has changed the entire idea of what a successful football club could look like in Germany. And just like all big change, there will always be resistance. Yet, with their high hopes (and deep pockets), I think we will be seeing RB Leipzig celebrate league titles a lot sooner than most people hope.

A Brand New Start of It

The legendary Frank Sinatra once sang that he wanted to "make a brand new start of it, in old New York." Well I've come from New York (sort of anyways) to a city that truly deserves the adjective of old - Leipzig, Germany. The city was founded in 1015 (no typo), and so will be celebrating its 1000th anniversary this year. 

Among one of the main purposes of my time here is to discover the differences between American football (soccer) and German football. (It did not take long for me to be told not to use the word soccer here.)  I am fortunate enough to have seen and been around some quality football in the US, and my hope is that that will continue in Germany. 

Back home, I work with the New York Red Bulls. I have worked for two years in their Training Programs, which is basically summer camps for kids around the tri-state area. I have also been a part of a Regional Development Staff, which screens young players who aspire to be in the Red Bull academy. And most recently, I have worked as an assistant to Simon Nee, the Academy's U16 coach. 

Red Bull also owns a team in Leipzig, known as RB Leipzig. Certain restrictions do not allow companies to own football clubs in Germany, so they cannot be called "Red Bull," so instead, their official name is Rasen Ballsport Leipzig. However, there are very few people who do not know what the RB on the jersey actually represents. 

During my time in Leipzig, I will be able to see their organization and compare it to what I know from back home. I have already spoken to many people within the club and must say that they have all been quite welcoming and kind to me. 

RB Leipzig has a home match coming up this Sunday, the first weekend of fixtures since I have arrived. I am quite excited to go to the arena and see the team play.They only have about six weeks left in the season, so I will be catching the end of their run. New York's season has just begun, and I am hopeful that they can continue their success from last season.

 I will certainly have some more thoughts after this weekend. It will be a big one for "Die Roten Bullen." On a side note, I would like to also take a trip to Salzburg, Austria while I am in Europe - another location of a Red Bull club. Red Bull Brasil may have to wait though...