RB Leipzig, also known as RasenBallsport Leipzig, is a German professional soccer team currently playing in the Bundesliga. They play their home games at the Red Bull Arena, a stadium with a capacity crowd of 42,959 soccer fans.
RB Leipzig, often referred to as Die Roten Bullen (The Red Bulls), was founded on May 19, 2009. Despite being quite a new team, the achievements of this club are worth being praised. They gained promotion to the German Bundesliga just eight years after their formation. A remarkable feat for a team that started its journey in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd.
Leipzig has produced some great talents in recent years. And it is just the start of a beautiful adventure. But, first, let us have a look at how this club got formed.
| Full Name | RB Leipzig |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 19, 2009 |
| Nickname | Die Roten Bullen (The Red Bulls) |
| Stadium | Red Bull Arena |
| Capacity | 42,959 |
| Owner | Red Bull GmbH (99%) (of GmbH) |
| Manager | Jesse Marsch |
| League | Bundesliga |
Formation Of RB Leipzig
Although RB Leipzig came into existence in 2009, the search for a club began earlier. In 2006, Reb Bull GmbH approached FC Sachsen Leipzig with a 50 million euros investment proposal. The negotiations were in an advanced stage when the project collapsed. The German Football Association (DFB) disapproved the renaming of the club to FC Red Bull Sachsen Leipzig.
Red Bull DmbH then contacted FC St. Pauli and TSV 1860 Munich, respectively. Unfortunately, both offers got declined as there were protests from fans.
Then came Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2007. The motion was a bit similar to that of FC Sachsen Leipzig. But, again, the DFB refused the renaming of the club to Red Bull Düsseldorf. Besides, club members also went against such an idea.
Red Bull GmbH eventually turned to the city of Leipzig, which had a great connection with soccer. The population of 500,000 people meant that they could get the fans’ support. Aware of the previous difficulties encountered, Red Bull GmbH contacted Saxony Football Association (SFV) to learn about the steps. They eventually found SSV Markranstädt, and the club agreed to sell its playing right for Oberliga to Red Bull GmbH. Thus, RB Leipzig got formed on May 19, 2009.
From Rags To Riches
RB Leipzig’s journey started on July 9, 2009, against SV Bannewitz in a friendly game. The match ended in a 5-0 win for Leipzig. After that, they met VfK Blau–Weiß Leipzig in their first-ever competitive match. As a result, they won the first round of the Saxony Cup by 5-0.
On August 8, 2009, they faced FC Carl Zeiss Jena II in their first league match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Nevertheless, Leipzig produced remarkable results throughout the 2009-2010 campaign as they finished the season as Champions. As a result, they earned a promotion to the 2010-11 Regionalliga Nord. The team scored a whopping 74 goals and endured only two defeats.
Before the start of the new campaign, Leipzig moved to Zentralstadion. The stadium was renamed Red Bull Arena. On July 24, 2010, Leipzig played its first match in the stadium against FC Schalke 04, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the host.
Leipzig finished the 2010-11 campaign in fourth place. But the team managed to win their first trophy by claiming the Saxony Cup. The overcame Chemnitzer FC by 1-0. This win guaranteed their participation in next year’s DFB-Pokal.
The Rise Of RB Leipzig
The 2011-12 Regionalliga was full of ups and downs. RB Leipzig created history by registering their highest win to date by defeating SV Wilhelmshaven by 8-2. However, the German outfit finished the season in third place, failing to secure promotion.
Under Alexander Zorniger, Leipzig finished the 2012-13 Regionalliga Nordost campaign in the first place. Then, they faced 2011 finalist Chemnitzer FC in the Saxony Cup finals. The final was played at Red Bull Arena, and Leipzig won the match by 4-2. It was their second Saxony Cup in less than three years.
Leipzig, who finished the 2012-13 Regionalliga Nordost in first place, had to play against Sportfreunde Lotte from the Regionalliga West. The winner of the match would be guaranteed a place in the 3. Liga. Over two legs, Leipzig was the better team and gained promotion thanks to an aggregate score of 4-2.
The 2013-14 3. Liga season was one full of drama. Leipzig faced tough competitions from SV Darmstadt 98. Nevertheless, the Die Roten Bullen managed to finish the campaign in second place and benefited from automatic qualification to the 2. Bundesliga.
Road To The German Bundesliga
The German Football League (DFL) met with RB Leipzig representatives on May 15, 2014, where they compromised. As a result, RB Leipzig had to redesign its crest, and the club management should be different from Red Bull GmbH. Nevertheless, the board members approved the proposition as Leipzig entered the 2014-15 2. Bundesliga season.
Despite a series of good performances by the club, they ended the campaign in fifth place. As a result, the club became active in the transfer market, recruiting several players. Unfortunately, many players also left.
Leipzig entered the new season with the ambition to achieve promotion. The team produced some excellent results to maintain their chances of moving to the top-tier German league alive. On matchday 33, Leipzig defeated Karlsruher SC by two-nil to secure a second-place finish.
The second place was synonymous with automatic qualification for next season, Bundesliga. The 2015-16 campaign will remain in the history books of the club.
RB Leipzig And The Bundesliga Connection
RB Leipzig achieved promotion to the Bundesliga in just eight years since its formation. It is an achievement that is worthy of being praised. During its first season, the Die Roten Bullen created history by becoming the first club to maintain a 100% unbeaten record in its first 13 matches. Another feat by the German side.
During the 2016-17 Bundesliga season, Leipzig finished in second place, only 15 points behind first-place Bayern Munich. Out of 34 league games, they won 20 times and registered seven draws.
Timo Werner was the club’s top scorer that season with 21 goals. The second-place finish ensured automatic entry into the Champions League group stages for Leipzig.
During the 2017-18 Bundesliga campaign, Leipzig finished sixth. However, in the Champions League group stage, the team finished third. They advanced to the Europa League knockout phase and managed to reach the quarter-finals of the competition. Marseille eventually knocked them out on an aggregate score of 5-3.
A First DFB-Pokal Final For RB Leipzig
It’s been only two seasons since Leipzig is in the Bundesliga, and they are already one of the most dominant German sides. They excelled not only in the league but also in domestic and European competitions.
Ralf Rangnick and his men produced some excellent soccer to finish the 2018-19 season in third place behind Borussia Dortmund and Champions Bayern Munich. It also meant that they gain automatic entry into the next season’s Champions League group stages.
In the DFB-Pokal, Leipzig advanced to the finals for the first time in their history by overcoming Hamburger SV. The semi-final clash ended in a 3-1 win for the Die Roten Bullen. The three goals came from Yussuf Poulsen, Vasilije Janjičić (an own goal), and Emil Forsberg.
In the finals, Leipzig faced Bayern Munich. The fixture got played at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Unfortunately, The Bavarians won the trophy after a 3-0 win. However, despite losing the finals, Leipzig sent a solid message to all its rivals.
A Champions League Campaign To Remember
At this given moment, Leipzig was already a trending name in world soccer. Fans around the globe were very much attracted to the team attacking style of play. As a result, they were now known as a giant killer team.
The club took the new 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign with the same passion as the previous ones. As a result, they managed to win most of their games and clinched a third-place finish.
In the Champions League, Leipzig produced some excellent results to finish top of their group. In the knockout phase, they overcame Tottenham Hotspur, followed by Atlético Madrid. Finally, they were drawn against Paris St Germain in the semi-finals.
A win in the semi-final would guarantee Leipzig a place in the Champions League finals. However, the French side dominated the match to advance to the finals stages of the tournament. The Die Roten Bullen made us live a fairytale in European soccer.
The 2020-21 Campaign
Leipzig started the 2020-21 Bundesliga campaign likes the previous ones. The team registered 19 wins and 8 draws from 34 games to finish second behind Bayern Munich. As a result, they got promoted to next year’s Champions League group stages.
In the DFB-Pokal, Leipzig was drawn against Borussia Dortmund in the finals. The fixture took place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on May 13, 2021. Leipzig lost the match by 4-1. Their only goal came from Dani Olma in the 71st minute.
The Future Of RB Leipzig
The rise of RB Leipzig taught us one thing; it is never too late to achieve your dreams. The club has produced some of the best talents in recent years. Naby Keïta, Yussuf Poulsen, Timo Werner, Joshua Kimmich, and Marcel Sabitzer are few examples.
Leipzig fans are waiting for their club to clinch its first major trophy. However, if the team keeps performing at the same level, the beautiful years lie ahead.
