From Oberliga to Champions League: How RB Leipzig became a powerhouse of German football
IMAGO | RB Leipzigs managing director, Johann Plenge, answers questions from journalists about RB Leipzigs US tour this summer.
RB Leipzig’s rapid rise from the fifth tier of German football to Europe’s elite competitions has been a masterclass in strategy and player development.
In an exclusive interview Johann Plenge, RB Leipzig’s Managing Director, shares insights into the club’s rise.
Why it matters: Many imitators have sought to emulate Red Bull football’s success as a multiclub ownership group (MCO), but little attention has been paid to what happens on the inside.
The perspective: While Leipzig’s journey is seen by some as a modern football fairytale, others criticize its corporate backing and perceived commercialization of the game.
18 September 2024 - 4:42 PM
To their admirers, especially the coterie of local fans who never stopped believing during lean years, the meteoric rise of RB Leipzig is a football fairytale; a triumph of strategic planning and investment to resurrect from the near-dead a fallen heartland of the game.
To its detractors, the emergence of Leipzig – from the ashes of SSV Markranstädt – which the Red Bull group bought 15 years ago and rebranded,
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