Eurotales Football Podcast

The Nightmare of a Leipzig Bundesliga Triumph: Will it Come True? With Rune Gjerulff Petersen

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Episode notes

Exciting Times for RB Leipzig

Last week brought a wave of excitement for Bundesliga team RB Leipzig. They learned about their opponents in the new Champions League format.

On the pitch, Bundesliga Matchday two featured Marco Rose's Leipzig facing Xabi Alonso and his unbeaten Bayern Leverkusen. Leverkusen had a remarkable 35-game unbeaten streak. Leipzig, with their own 12-game unbeaten run, was ready for a thrilling match.

Powered by the clinical Belgian striker Openda, who scored two goals in the second half, Leipzig handed Leverkusen their first Bundesliga defeat since the end of the 2022/23 season. This win was particularly impressive because Leipzig came back after being down 2-0 at halftime.

Being part of the Red Bull sporting group gives them a unique advantage in finding and nurturing young talent.

Expert Insights

This week, we welcome back Bundesliga expert Rune Gjerulff Petersen (Twitter @runegjerulff). He will discuss whether RB Leipzig can be serious title challengers this season. Rune is the owner of the fantastic Bundesliga site Bulinews.com and a Bundesliga Fantasy football expert.

The Rise of RB Leipzig

Before 2009, RB Leipzig did not exist. Red Bull came to town and built the club from the ground up. They transformed the small club, SSV Markranstadt, which was in the 5th division of German football.

Red Bull, which owns clubs in Salzburg and New York, changed Markranstadt’s name, logo, and colors. They bought a ten-year lease on a 43,000-seat stadium, established a training ground, and aimed for the top of German football.

In just 8 seasons, RB Leipzig reached the Bundesliga. By their tenth season, they featured in the Champions League.

Controversial Tactics

Their approach to youth recruitment and high-energy football is hard to resist. However, many German football fans feel uneasy about how they discarded club traditions to start this journey.

In Germany, football holds a special place in the community.

Many clubs are fan-owned and not just businesses for profit. Exceptions exist, like Wolfsburg and Leverkusen, but RB Leipzig’s approach has raised eyebrows. They found ways to navigate football regulations, including the 50-plus-one rule, which aims to keep clubs connected to their supporters.

Leipzig has circumvented many of Germany’s football rules. They found loopholes and controlled who could own shares in the club, thus satisfying the supporter shareholding requirement.

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