INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to my first FM17 story. Hopefully I will enjoy this one long enough to make it my only story. In this story I will be taking the role of current Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhüttl and trying to guide the bulls to the top of the Bundesliga to overthrow Bayern.
Why Leipzig? For those that don't know RB Leipzig's story, they're one of the most hated clubs in the whole of Germany. For the first time since 2009, East Germany has a club in the Bundesliga, a cause for celebration? Then why are so few people celebrating the rise of this club?
Backed by the energy drink producer Red Bull, starting in the fifth division it has only taken them seven seasons to reach the first division. To some people, this is a real Cinderella story, for others, it's a betrayal to what football stands for in Germany. Tradition, identity and the fans input, three things people feel doesn't apply to RB.
In 2009, Dietrich Mateschitz, the founder of Red Bull purchased fifth division minnows SSV Markranstadt to begin the German leg of his growing football empire. Unlike
Salzburg (Austria) and the
New York Red Bulls (USA), Leipzig were forbidden from including the energy drink's name in their official name. Calling the club RasenBallsport (Lawn Ball Sport) to be able to use the initials RB.
With the regulations in place in German football, Mateschitz had to be clever and make cunning moves. An example of one of these moves was the way they got around the issue of fan control. Almost all clubs in Germany have to abide by the 50+1 rule, which gives its members, the fans, the balance of power when it comes to electing the board. Red Bull's solution was simple, to become a member, the fee was €800, more than 10 times the amount you would have to pay to become a member at Bayern Munich. So much for fan power.
Other teams have accused RB of being too aggressive with their transfer policy, with them having the spending power to buy players from the Bundesliga whilst playing in the 2. Bundesliga. This obviously gave them a huge advantage with the power of the playing squad but still the rise from the bottom to the top has been fantastic and they don't want it to stop now.
No matter how much people hate them, RB Leipzig are here to stay....