RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig, officially RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V., is a German professional football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. Founded in 2009 by Red Bull GmbH, the club purchased the playing rights of fifth-tier side SSV Markranstädt with the explicit goal of reaching the Bundesliga within eight years. The men's professional team is operated by RasenBallsport Leipzig GmbH, a spin-off organization. The club plays its home matches at the Red Bull Arena, a 42,000-seat stadium in central Leipzig.

RB Leipzig competes in the Bundesliga, Germany's top football division, having been promoted in 2016 after a rapid ascent through the lower leagues. The club's early years saw successive promotions from the NOFV-Oberliga Süd to the Regionalliga Nordost, then to the 3. Liga, and finally to the 2. Bundesliga before reaching the Bundesliga in 2015–16. In their debut Bundesliga season, they finished runners-up and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Their European peak came in the 2019–20 season when they reached the Champions League semi-finals, losing to Paris Saint-Germain.

The club has won back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles in 2022 and 2023, defeating SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt in the finals. They also won the DFL-Supercup in 2023, beating Bayern Munich. RB Leipzig's corporate ownership structure, which circumvents the German 50+1 rule, has made the club controversial among traditional fans, who often label it a 'plastic club.' Despite this, the club has built a growing fan base, particularly in former East Germany, where it is seen as a successful regional representative.[edit]

RB Leipzig was founded on May 19, 2009, when Red Bull GmbH acquired the playing rights of SSV Markranstädt, a fifth-tier club. The new club started in the NOFV-Oberliga Süd for the 2009–10 season. Under the guidance of former coach and sporting director Ralf Rangnick, the club implemented a high-pressing, dynamic style of play. They won the Regionalliga Nordost in 2012–13 and gained promotion to the 3. Liga, then to the 2. Bundesliga in 2014–15, and finally to the Bundesliga in 2015–16.

In their first Bundesliga season (2016–17), RB Leipzig finished second, led by coach Ralph Hasenhüttl and star players like Timo Werner and Naby Keïta. The club qualified for the Champions League and reached the round of 16 in 2017–18. Under Julian Nagelsmann from 2019 to 2021, they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2020, losing to Paris Saint-Germain. In 2021–22, under Domenico Tedesco, they won their first major trophy, the DFB-Pokal, defeating SC Freiburg on penalties. They defended the cup in 2023 under Marco Rose, beating Eintracht Frankfurt, and also won the DFL-Supercup in 2023.

The club has been a consistent top-four finisher in the Bundesliga, securing Champions League spots in most seasons. Controversy has followed RB Leipzig due to its corporate ownership, which many German fans see as undermining the traditional 50+1 rule. Protests and boycotts are common at away matches. Nonetheless, the club has developed a distinct identity with energetic fan support at the Red Bull Arena, known for choreographed tifos and songs.[edit]