Perhaps I'm misunderstanding Leipzig's raison d’être and conflating it with the objectives of the academy programs in Ghana and Sao Paulo. Certainly there's disagreement over the program in Sao Paulo's objectives.
Damn, that kills my master plan! Or at least it's on hold for another season. I think that's the case. If all goes as planned, the German club is definitely formed with promotion in mind and will be the big money-maker of the RB teams. They had already tried with FC Sachsen in 2006 (or might have been 2007) but were stopped. Unfortunately I can't find a link to the original article, but somebody pasted an excerpt on a local RB Leipzig fan forum a bit mentioning that Dietmar Beiersdorfer was just in São Paolo on an official visit to the academy there - the exact wording (translated) was that he was there to "inspect" it. So it seems they are definitely putting some effort into getting the academy there up to speed. The rest of the article was speculation about some 2nd Division striker he was checking out for the Salzburg club (no mention of RBNY).
On the subject of the academies in Brazil & Ghana, here's a link to an interview with Beiersdorfer that appeared in BILD yesterday. It's not specifically having to do with RBNY - the main focus of the interview was about the seeming hatred of the other local teams for RBL - but the important part: BILD: Wann kommt die erste Verstärkung aus den Akademien in Brasilien oder Ghana nach Leipzig? Beiersdorfer: „Ich war gerade in Brasilien. Da gibt es eine wunderschöne Anlage eine Stunde weg von Sao Paulo. Aber dort herrscht harter Kampf um die Talente, viele große Klubs und Investmentgesellschaften suchen die besten Spieler. Wir haben gerade damit angefangen. Es wird noch ein langer Weg sein.“ translated: BILD: When will the first reinforcements from the academies in Brazil or Ghana come to Leipzig? Beiersdorfer: "I was just in Brazil. There is a gorgeous facility one hour from Sao Paolo. However there is a tough struggle over the talent over there, since many big clubs and investment companies are searching for the best players. We have just begun. It will still be a long way." In other words, don't hold your breath for a wave of Brazilians anytime soon. Basically it's the same thing as with the youth academies of the Leipzig program - it's going to take awhile to build it up.
Haha yes, and don`t forget our Thomaner choir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomanerchor), which every year plays (and mostly wins) a soccer game against the choir of Dresden (http://www.kreuzchor.de/deutsch/fot...dGalerie=1181055774&iVon=0&idBild=11811499094, http://www.kreuzchor.de/deutsch/fot...dGalerie=1181055774&iVon=9&idBild=11811492641). Music and soccer just runs in our blood! Here`s a very nice retrospect of the first half year of our club history, where you can get a good impression about the grounds on which we`re playing when it`s not derbytime... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxqQ0baTSR4"]YouTube- RB Leipzig Rückblick Hinrunde 2009[/ame]
Leipzig ist grün-weiss! FC Sachsen! Chemie ist die Stadt! It's a really interesting situation going on. I was studying in Leipzig for three months this past spring while the whole takeover was going on. There was almost no protest over the takeover. Everything I read seemed pretty positive. Leipzig is a really interesting case. Big city, nice stadium, and absolute shit for teams. In terms of soccer, it's the absolute horror story for post-communist East Germany. Successful teams pre-1989, some early success (VfB Leipzig) and then an absolute collapse. While I'd much rather see Chemie make it to the top, I'd much rather seen RB Markrandstädt than L*k.
Yeah and they should buy an expansion team (in MLS) and keep their stadium, let the metrostars play where ever they can find room
Yeah pretty much, because Red Bull will never ever be successful here! For some reason they do well everywhere but USA... Oh well the new year is a good time to start over!
I've been meaning to post some kind of an update for awhile, but now seems a good of time as ever... RB Leipzig was officially confirmed as Oberliga Nord (local 5th Division) champions during last weekend with five games still left in the season. The team has won every game since the winter break and has been unsurprisingly dominant in the league - 22 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss. The organization's big-wig Beiersdorfer was reportedly on-hand for last weekend's game, which was more or less the league championship celebration (it was confirmed on results the day before) with the team sporting special t-shirts during the pre-game warmup. As expected, there has often been pretty negative reaction from the fans of other teams in the area, but to my knowledge the instances of any actual violence against RB fans has been minimal or non-existent. I think this is due to the RB fan groups taking a very outspoken anti-violence (as well as anti-racism and anti-hooliganism) stance, and also a huge police presence for all home and away games preventing a lot of attempted problems (some organized, some just random drunken a@#holes) by some of the more right-wing hooligan fans of certain local clubs. The team will play in the Regionalliga Nord (4th division) next season, which should set up some interesting games. The main "derby" will be against a team from Leipzig's neighboring city, Hallescher FC, whose fans have one of the worst reputations for violence & hooliganism in eastern Germany. The only time I visited the HFC stadium was for a first-round DFB Cup game against Hannover in 2008, where many of the home fans were actually ripping apart their own stadium and throwing pieces of seating at the away section. The division will also include a couple of the bigger teams of the east, Chemnitz FC & FC Magdeburg as well as the reserve/youth teams of several well-known Bundesliga clubs like Wolfsburg, Hamburg, Hannover and Hertha. I don't think it's decided yet whether the team will permanently move into the 40,000+ Zentralstadion in Leipzig for next season, or play mainly in the 5000-capacity ground in Markranstädt, saving only the bigger games or the ones needing tighter security for the big stadium. My guess is the latter option, since it will still take a few years for attendance to build up enough to make such a large stadium feel like anything other than an empty cavern. I've been to quite a few games over the course of the season with some friends and we've all really enjoyed the whole experience. The main fan group (LE Bulls) are a total blast, completely friendly and have done a great job all season long in making a lively, welcoming atmosphere (€2 beer in the stadium doesn't hurt either ). The Red Bull organization has also done a good job of helping to sponsor buses for away games, which are a fantastic experience. The away trip to FSV Zwickau in early-April will probably go down as one of my all-time favorite football attending experiences - 90 minute bus ride there and back with several cases of cheap/free beer on board, chanting the majority of the ride there, during the game and the whole way back, and the added bonus of angry local ultras trying to block the fan bus from leaving after the game. Classic. The general fan base is decent all things considered, and seems to be made up of a combination of (a) fans of the original Markranstädt team, (b) area locals who have grown weary of the constant bullsh!t associated with the other 2 local teams and are looking for a fresh start, and (c) overall football fans like myself who aren't from Leipzig and could never really develop a connection to either of the other 2 local teams for whichever reason. Sadly this season was about all I'll see in person since I'm moving to Munich over the summer, but I'm sure I will still occasionally venture up for the odd game (particularly the local derbies against Halle). Considering how well this season was handled from the top down, I can see the team immediately being one of the top teams of the division next season and most likely will be competing for a 2nd straight promotion.
Good luck to Leipzig. Never got a chance to visit that city when I was in Germany 4 yrs ago. Now only if RB purchase Toros Neza in Mexico....
This is a fascinating thread! I'm glad we're part of the Red Bulls organization. (Again, much better than the NY Diet Sprites or whatever random company could've purchased the MetroStars.)
Red Bull is the best thing ever to happen to MLS in NY/NJ. They have been very, very good to us. Glad to see they are spreading some love around the world.
I'm a bit confused, why would you support RBNY and not RB Leipzig, I mean it makes no sence. We lost alot of fans once RB took over the Metrostars for that same reason, but i don't think any of the Metrofans are Leipzig fans now. Why RBNY, you could of chosen DC or even LA. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you are a RBNY fan and welcome, but it doesn't make any sence. As viper would say " Your comments please ".
Sure, no prob. First off, that post you quoted is from almost a year ago and I'll admit my tune has changed in the time since. The team - or more accurately the fans - won me over this season and I'd say that my attendance record is a good sign I ended up proving my initial instinct wrong. I think what I was originally trying to express is that I didn't feel predisposed to support RB Leipzig simply based on them having common ownership with the team I already support. Also adding in the fact that I was nearing the end of my studies and was expecting to move elsewhere midway through the season (fortunately I got a few extra months), it didn't seem in the cards that I would end up becoming a fan of the team, especially since I'd just never been able to develop any kind of attachment to either of the other 2 main teams in Leipzig (Sachsen & Lok) during the previous 7 years that I'd been living here. Ultimately the things that turned me away from Sachsen & Lok - organizational mismanagement affecting the team plus a litany of issues with the fan/ultra/hool culture - were completely the opposite with RB and it drew me to the team. As to why I support RBNY from afar instead of some other MLS team - the short version... Aside from whatever dying days of the NASL when I was too young to distinguish a football from a tit and Dallas still had whatever team they had, I've never lived in a city with a team in the top flight of whichever league (primarily MLS or Bundesliga). Most of the time I've been following the sport has been in the last few years here in Leipzig, and as I mentioned, footballing culture here is pretty fu#&ed up, so I never had a local team I was supporting. For various reasons, RBNY became my de facto local team for a few years (or more accurately future local team). While my plans got a major overhaul and I hardly ever visit NYC anymore and no longer have plans to live there, my team loyalties will always stay the same, no question about it. The whole RB Leipzig and RBNY connection is just a completely lucky coincidence for me since I'm not from either city, and RB Leipzig didn't exist until several years after I started supporting RBNY.
Looks like Red Bull Brasil has also been moving up, but it's a veeeeeeeery long ladder. 2008 - Begin at Paulista B - no promotion 2009 - Again in Paulista B, win, promotion to A3 2010 - Play in A3, win, promotion to A2 2010 - Will play in Paulista A2 Im not exactly sure whats next. Someone correct me if Im wrong, but they must play in the A2 and place in the top 4 to reach the A1. Once in A1, they most place within the top 2 teams not already in the brasileirao to enter the Brasileirao serie D. From there, they can go to series C, then B, and finally, A.
Pulling this one out of the depths... The Leipzig farm team just completed a wildly successful 2012-13 season. They won the "Regional League Northeast" division by a huge margin with an undefeated record, and then beat the Western division winner Sportfreunde Lotte in a 2-legged playoff to finally get promoted to the German 3rd Division. The first leg of the playoff in Leipzig drew more than 30,000 people on a Wednesday afternoon. Not counting that game, the average attendance for the season was well over 7k, which is very high for the division. I expect next season's average to increase to over 10k, and they could reasonably have the chance to be the highest draw in the 3rd division (11k/game could do it). In addition, they won the regional cup competition, and will host a the 1st or 2nd Bundesliga team in the 1st round of next season's German Cup. They beat VWfL Wolfsburg 2 years ago in their other appearance in the competition. Apart from the logo on the jersey, what does this have to do with RBNY? Probably very little. I'm still holding out hope that some young developing players or academy signings could be sent to Leipzig for extended loans and actual competitive playing time instead of rotting in the reserves. The overall quality of play in the 3rd division here is surprisingly good. However I'm not holding my breath.