RB Leipzig is currently sitting in fifth place in the 2nd Bundesliga. If they were to finish third, that would give them a chance to be promoted to the Bundesliga - which is the ultimate goal for any German football club. Last week, Leipzig played SV Darmstadt (currently third) at Red Bull Arena. The game was quite exciting, with RBL going down 1-0, then scoring with about ten minutes left to tie the match. And in the dying minutes, pressing for a victory to keep their hopes of promotion alive, Leipzig sent their goalkeeper (and every other player) forward to try to score. Sure enough, the ball falls to Fabio Coltorti's (RB Leipzig GK) feet and he puts it in the back of the next, 2-1 Leipzig. The following moments of sheer pandemonium will stay with me for quite a long time. It was quite an exciting environment to find myself in, and was absolutely crazy. I don't think words could really describe it.
I think this fits nicely with what I was planning to write about, though. So far, I have mostly talked about the anti-Red Bull feelings and how the club has caused an uproar in German football. But being in Leipzig, you certainly also see a very different side. I get to see the passion and support the club receives from its fans - young, old, men, women, anyone. At matches, it is a fantastic environment - a huge stadium with 40,000 faithful supporters. Perhaps when RBL travels to away matches, do not welcome them so warmly. But in Leipzig, they are certainly adored.
"Einmal Leipzig - immer Leipzig - RBL"
Once Leipzig - always Leipzig. The home supporters are (at least from my impression) completely behind the team. There is no nonsense of Red Bull or money or this or that. For RBL supporters, it seems that there is not much to the story. RBL is a football club, and people love them, just like people love Bayern München or Manchester United or any other club. Especially among young fans and children, the politics or ownership of the club is not important. All that matters is that every Sunday eleven guys come together to play a football match. So it is promising to see so many kids at the matches, kids that know every player and every stadium chant (and taught them to us!). For me, that is what football is about. The team and the supporters uniting over a match. On the field, nothing else matters - race, gender, religion, age - football is magic in that way. It gives us all something to get excited over, to pretend we are a kid once again, looking up to our idols, dreaming of being a professional athlete. At least for me, that is certainly part of the allure of football.
The overwhelming support shown by the fans is something really exciting to see and I love going to the matches. Even at the training sessions (which are often open to the public), there are always fans there. Kids bring their jerseys to get autographs and take pictures with the team. The support for the club is there, one hundred per cent, regardless of Red Bull or logos or sponsors.
You can go to a football game in the US, or American football or any other sporting event in the US, but the environment created by the fans does not compare to what I am experiencing here. Maybe the hatred from other clubs or other fans has stirred up some Leipzig supporters to really show themselves and their pride in the club. Maybe it hasn't, and football fans are just naturally crazy supporters. Either way, it's certainly a great environment to be a RBL fan, or just a football fan in general. And I would have to say that the players must agree with that as well.
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