Red Bull's Global Football Empire

Most people are aware of the vested interest in motorsport, particularly Formula One, of the famous energy drink company, Red Bull, however it's the football that has been grabbing the headlines recently.

With a budget exceeding every other side in the 2. Bundesliga by almost €10m it is perhaps no surprise that RB Leipzig have won promotion to the top tier of German football, just six years after the club was 'formed'. This promotion could launch Red Bull's 11 year old football empire into the stratosphere.

RasenBallsport Leipzig differs from most of the other clubs in Germany as it is owned by the energy drink company, Red Bull contrary to the fan-ownership model ubiquitous in German football. The club was formed in 2009 when Red Bull purchased the playing licence of fifth division side, SSV Markranstadt and have swiftly sailed through the divisions since then. RB Leipzig won the 2012-13 German fourth tier without losing a single game and became the first team since the introduction of 3. Liga (third tier) to win promotion after only one season. Even with the wealthy company financing them it is an achievement to revel in.

An Emil Forsberg goal coupled with an own goal gave the side from Saxony a 2-0 win over Karlsruher on Sunday to secure an automatic promotion spot to the Bundesliga. Like with many newly promoted sides, the summer transfer window with be crucial to determine whether the side will remain in the top tier next season. Bild newspaper is already reporting that the club are looking to spend heavily with Basel's Breel Embolo and Kevin Volland among the rumours. Despite guiding the side to promotion, manager, Ralf Ragnick has stepped back from his managerial role but will remain at the club as the Director of Football. Instead, the reigns have been handed to Ralf Hasenhuttl who successfully kept Ingolstadt in the division this season.

Recently, FourFourTwo published a feature article in their monthly magazine on the unusual German club, featuring very strong opinions of other German supporters. Many claim that the club break the '50+1' rule set for the clubs in the German leagues. The 50+1 rule ensures that the majority of the club cannot be owned by a private investor, but instead by members that pay an annual fee. Up to 49% of the club can be owned by an investor, while the rest is distributed between paying members, giving them the power to veto crucial issues decided by the investor if it goes against the morals of the club e.g.. ticket pricing. While RB Leipzig aren't breaching the rule, it's safe to say that it is being seriously stretched. Compared to the 200,000 members of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich each paying around €50-€100 per annum, Die Bullen, have only 11 members paying a princely €800 a year. Oh and they all work for Red Bull.

They're not the only team that Red Bull has a vented interest in. The worldwide company also own New York Red Bulls of the MLS and Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian top tier. In a similar way to which RB Leipzig was formed, Red Bull bought the paying licence of Austria Salzburg, immediately changing the badge, name and kit from violet and white to one resembling a can of the energy drink with the logo splashed across the front of the jersey. Obviously, the supporters of the original club were not too pleased about this decision so decided to set up a new team SV Austria Salzburg currently plying their trade in the second tier of Austrian football.

Despite being widely hated in the footballing world, the unusual model has brought a plethora of success to the Austrian outfit - seven league titles in ten years - and has been greatly appreciated by the fans who stuck around. In an interview with City A.M. in April 2015, a member of the Red Bull Salzburg fan group, 'the Raging Bulls' commented that "it was more of a rescue that a takeover" and that "the club was more professional and the communication of the fans is excellent." Before the takeover, the club as struggling both physically and financially. Red Bull are also in charge of various clubs in lower divisions of Austrian football, acting as feeder clubs to the main 'project' in Salzburg.

New York Red Bulls have not been as successful as their cousins in Austria, winning two Supporters' Shield and the Eastern Conference regular season four times. In Brazil a club was set up in the state of Sao Paulo in 2007. In the nine years the club has been in existence, it has grown to feature in the top flight of the Sao Paulo State Championship as well as finishing runners up in the Copa Paulista in their inaugural season.

There were rumours of a potential takeover of a club in England, either in the Premier League or Championship, most recently as 2014, with clubs such as Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Everton touted as future fizzy drink clubs. However these rumours were soon quashed with assistant sporting director, Lisa Hohensinn stating, "Red Bull will not make any investments in English football clubs." Even with this denial reports always surface from time to time stating about an English takeover. It would change the outlook of English football if these reports ever did come to fruition.

Red Bull largely started to invest in football clubs as a form of marketing and to attach their product to successful brand that they created. In 2011, Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz said, "We are developing RB Leipzig with the aim of playing in the Bundesliga in three to five years. We also want to get into the Champions League and be successful there." With one half of this statement achieved, the new franchise can set their sights on future domestic successes and eventual European glory. No doubt the Head of Global Football Operations, Oliver Mintzlaff, has had many dreams about total total domination in the football world.

While the model is not proving too popular among the 'traditional' football fans, it is undoubtedly getting some reward out of their efforts. Their Austrian outfit remain the most successful outfit with New York Red Bulls close behind. Leipzig have the potential to be big, due to the profile of the league that they are playing in, and an appearance in the Champions League may just be around the corner. This is just the beginning for Red Bull's Global Football Empire.

Dortmund's Demise.

To be quite honest, I am astonished with the current situation at Borussia Dortmund. Sitting not-so-prettily in the relegation zone, it is safe to say that a dark cloud has shadowed over the Westfaldstadion.

Three wins in their opening four games in all competitions seemed like a solid start, one of which being a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in which they outperformed the opposition in all facets of the pitch. Since then they have only registered five victories and haven’t won since December 5th, before ending their duck yesterday. Even though things aren't hunky dory, it was still a bit of a shock to hear the players being booed off at the conclusion of their 1-0 home loss against Augsburg on Wednesday night. Regardless of this, the Powers Above have shown no evidence of removing Klopp from his managerial post.

The heights of 2013’s Champions League Final and the double winning side of 2011/2012 seem distant memory. The loss of vital players such as Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski have not helped the current situation. Much was expected of Shinji Kagawa’s return from the Theatre of Dreams, but even he was unable to prevent a disastrous start to Dortmund’s season. Similarly, the signings to replace the departures haven’t exactly set the world alight. Ciro Immobile, whom I am a big fan of, has only been able to record a measly 3 goals with a conversion rate of 12.5%. Last season Lewandowski recorded 20 goals with a significantly better rate of over 22%. Like Immobile, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has a conversion rate of just under 15%. Dortmund are missing their hitman.

Looking at the defence, it seems that confidence is the issue. If we consider that they have 4 World Cup winning defenders in their possession, it would shock us all, but considering that 3 of them failed to make a single appearance during the tournament we can now see why. Matthias Ginter and Eric Durm both are under the age of 23. Although they have potential, 2 youngsters are unlucky to be able to dig a club seeped in turmoil. Neven Subotic and Lukas Piszczeck are experienced operators so Klopp will be looking for them to aid and abed the youth within their ranks. Looking at Mats Hummels, he may well be considering his future at the German club with Manchester United reportedly interested in him.

That leads me onto another sticky situation that may face Jurgen Klopp in the future. If the unimaginable happens and 2011/2012 Bundesliga champions are relegated to the lower tier, he may well face the exodus of several pivotal players. Marco Reus has been forever linked with a move away and the reported suitors is a list the length of my arm. Pretty much every European 'giant' has been linked with the World Cup winner. As I have said previously, Mats Hummels is another sought after player. Status may begin to talk as teams could swoop in for the remaining talent in the likes of Nuri Sahin, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Ciro Immobile, however performances of late will do nothing to persuade clubs to invest in them. It will be interesting to see what happens if the side are relegated and if they don't buck up their ideas, the nightmare could become a reality.

On the bright side, they recorded a resounding 3-0 victory away to Freiburg yesterday, lifting them off the bottom of the table and also easing the pressure on Klopp. Dortmund need to take confidence fron this away result into future games, and they can certainly finish in a mid table position.

European Round-Up

We're well over the half way point in all of the top European Leagues, so let's take a look at where everyone stands in their respective leagues:

Starting close to home, Chelsea are the dominant force in the Barclays Premier League having survived a minor blip around the New Year. The Blues hold a 5 point lead over holders, Manchester City to have suffered due to injuries in attack. They are very much on the tale of the London club, but I don't expect them to beat Mourinho's Chelsea to the title. Not many people would expect Southampton to be mentioned in the top 3, but Koeman has got a side who were tipped for a low finish at the start of the season due to the departure of many of their players.

At the foot of the table, it is hard to predict who will make the drop, with Hull, QPR and Leicester occupying the spots as it stands. 4 points seperates Everton in 12th which proves how tight it really is. At the start of the season, I predicted Palace, Villa and Sunderland to get relegated and it seems likely that at least one of these teams won't survive.

In Germany's Bundesliga, there isn't much competition for Bayern Munich who sit unbeaten and 11 points ahead of Wolfsburg in second. Bayern's domestic dominance seems likely to continue for a number of years, particularly as main rivals, Borussia Dortmund lie in the relegation zone level on points with 18th placed Freiburg. I hope Klopp is able to resurrect Dortmund While the competition is minimum at the top of the table, there is plenty of it at the bottom. Only 12 points seperates 18 and 4th position. There is plenty of time for Jurgen Klopp's men to hit a purple patch and finish in a respectable position. Similarly, sides to seem out of the danger zone could slip down the table, if the next couple of matches don't go to plan.

We through Austria/Switzerland to Italy. As predicted, Juventus and Roma are leading the pack with third place Napoli 6 points behind. It is certainly a gap that Napoli can catch, but they will need to begin their charge pretty soon, especially as Juventus and Roma don't look like slipping up anytime soon. Both Milan and Internazionale trundle through their stage of 'transition' and sit in 11th and 10th respectively. With Inter capturing the signature of Xherdan Shaqiri, Mancini aims to stamp his mark on a side that could be doing with an ounce of quality. More signings to this calibre and we could be seeing the Nerazurri return to the heights of the Champions League.

Let's turn our attention to Spain. Real Madrid lead the pack by a point with Barcelona and Atletico chasing behind. Real triumphed in the solitary Clasico so far with an excellent display of counter attacking football and with the current situation at the Nou Camp in dispute, it doesn't look like they will be able to topple Real Madrid. Despite losing their goalkeeper, left back and striker in the summer transfer window, Atletico are up there albeit 4 points behind the leaders and having played a game more. I still think Real Madrid will have enough strength to fend off the challenge of their competitors, but being able to compete for the Champions League as well, is a completely different scenario.

In France, PSG have been faltering and this can be put down to problems in a fractured dressing room. Marcelo Bielsa's Marseille came firing out of the blocks at the start of the season and Gignac was scoring for fun. However the form has declined and some may say it is down to Bielsa's rigorous training methods. Olympique Lyon now lead the charge and Alexandre Lacazette has made his price tag more expensive to possible suitors this month. After a slow start from Monaco, Leonardo Jardim has tidied up and now they are sitting in a respectable 5th. The loss of Falcao has clearly affected them, and a 5th place finish come May might not be enough for Jardim to keep his job.

The Best League in the World?

The question of 'Which is the Best League in the World?' is often asked and even more frequently answered with the Barclays Premier League as it is the most competitive. In the light of Roy Keane's recent comments, I thought it would be beneficial to share my opinions.

La Liga

While the La Liga contains arguably 2 of the biggest teams in the world, I don't see this as the best league in the world. The league is constantly a 2 horse race as either Barcelona or Real Madrid have won it since the 2003-2004 season. The vast majority of the Spanish national side play their football in Spain for either Barcelona or Real Madrid. This has proved both teams, especially Barca to be a force in Europe in the past seasons, having won the Champions League 3 times since 2005. However, a new force in the shape of Atletico Madrid are going from strength to strength and will test rivals Madrid and Barca in the coming seasons.

Unfortunately for Madrid, they have been living in the Blaugrana's shadow for the last few years. Barca's European dominance has also helped the national side. Spain have dominated International football by winning 2 European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010. For what the league lacks in competitive nature, it makes up for in sheer brilliance and skill from Barca and Real and is a must watch to see the best players in the world in action.

Serie A

The Italian League on the other hand, is an underrated league, in my opinion. Since the turn of the century, 5 different teams have won it while it is a constant scramble for 2nd and 3rd place. On the downside, the League has seen its rainy days. The 2006 match fixing scandal saw Juventus stripped of their title and booted out of Serie A to Serie C1 while Fiorentina and Lazio were demoted to Serie B. Other sanctions were also given to Milan and Reggina. A bad light portrayed of our Beautiful Game. 

The next season will prove profitable for rising stars Napoli as they invested their €60m wisely that they got from the sale of Edinson Cavani. AC Milan look strong as do Juventus but AC rivals Inter, is a different story. A disappointing 9th place finsh last season saw them finish behind arch rivals AC. A league which has been plagued with controversy in the past is competitive and will be sure to stay that way with the rise of new teams. Juventus appear to be in pole position to be crowned champions, while AS Roma surprised everyone with their explosive start to the season. On the other hand, Milan have had a disastrous season, which further emphasises the unpredictable nature of the Italian League.

Bundesliga

The Bundesliga now holds the European Champions in the shape of Bayern Munich for the 1st time in 12 years. The final was an all German affair between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern, but more interestingly, it was a final no one expected. Bayern ran 7 goals past Barcelona on aggregate in a vintage German performance while Dortmund's home leg against Madrid saw Robert Lewandowski net 4 goals. After these results, many said that this was the end of Spain's dominance in continental football and that 'Ze Germans' were heading for world domination... Where have we heard that before... 

The previous season witnessed records broken as Bayern walked away with the title after reclaiming it from rivals Dortmund. Bayern became the first team to do the 'treble' in Germany and this season will answer questions in terms of their seize of power over football. With exception to Bayern last season, teams were regularly beating each other such as relegation battlers Hoffenheim defeating Dortmund 4-1 away from home. The same trend has carried on into this season. 

Bayern have effectively won the league with 2 months to spare, and are favourites to win the Champions League again. Similar to La Liga, for what it lacks in competition, it makes up for in quality, particularly from Bayern and Dortmund. The best league in the world? Tough to say whether it beats the English league but its certainly up there with the quality and quantity of goals scored up to this date.

Is the Premier League all that it's hyped up to be?

Touted as the most competitive and exciting league in the world, this tag certainly lived up to expectations at the end of the 2011/2012 season, with City taking the title in the dying embers of the campaign. A magical moment whether a City fan, United fan or the neutral. We can never definitively say who will be relegated or clinch the title due to the unpredictability of the league. Although it was a two horse race for the majority of the previous season, this season, any team from Manchester to London can do it. 

I believe Chelsea will be win the league, now that their guardian angel, Jose Mourinho is at the helm. Mourinho has the know-how and experience to guide his team to an English title. However, what I find disappointing about the Premier League, is the failings in Europe over the past seasons. Although Chelsea won the Europa League, no British team got passed the last 16 stage of the Champions League and also that 3/4 English teams appear to be going out at the first hurdle. With the money involved in Chelsea and Manchester City, mixed with the superb form of Arsenal and Liverpool it will only be a matter of time until the British teams are back at the the top.

As for the comments made by Roy Keane, I agree with him that the Premier League is the best 'brand' however I disagree with his opinion that it's not the best league. If you are looking for quality football and a competitive season, then look no further than the Barclays Premier League.

In a close second, I think it's Serie A. I feel the 14 point gap at the top is down to the sheer quality of Juve, rather than the inability of the rest. However, it just lacks the quality in Europe - with the exception of stragglers, Milan. I can easily see the Serie A becoming more competitive if a club is bought over and money is pumped in like what has happened at City and PSG.

Winter Round-Up 2013

Winter Round-Up

Here is a round-up of the Italian, German and Spanish Leagues to date.

La Liga

It is probably not too surprising that Barcelona are leading the way in Spain with 46 points, but I don't think too many people predicted Atletico to be in second place. Although having not found first gear this season, Barca have picked up on where they left off last season, albeit only ahead on goal difference. As for the Madrid sides, the tide could be turning. Real find themselves 5 points adrift of the top 2 and are positioned in 3rd place while Atleti are level on points with Barca. 

In El Clasico this year, Barcelona took the spoils with a 2-1 victory over Madrid at the Nou Camp. Neymar offered a scintillating performance in the first battle between him and the other debutant, Gareth Bale by scoring the opening goal. Alexis Sanchez doubled their lead after a deft chip over Lopez before Jese grabbed a late consolation goal to half the deficit.

In terms of my prediction, Real Madrid have the talent to win the title this year, but in order to it, they will need to gel together. Barcelona have defensive worries, after conceding 2 against Getafe at the weekend, but as always, their attacking threat bailed them out. They will look to improve in that department over January. As for the other side of Madrid, they possess a lethal striker in Diego Costa. Already with 23 goals this season, Costa will be hoping to bag a few more in order to challenge the big guns in the Champions League and try to pip Barcelona and Real to the title.

#	Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Barcelona	17	15	1	1	49	12	37	46
2	Atlético Madrid	17	15	1	1	46	11	35	46
3	Real Madrid	17	13	2	2	49	21	28	41
4	Athletic	17	10	3	4	26	21	5	33
5	Real Sociedad	17	8	5	4	33	23	10	29

Serie A

Last year's champions Juventus head into the Winter Break in pole position with leading the undefeated Roma by 5 points. Roma began the campaign in terrific fashion by winning their first 10 games and only conceding 1 goal in the process, but drawing too many games has cost them their top spot. 3rd place and lying a further 5 points behind is Napoli. Unlike Tottenham, Benitez and Napoli have spent wisely and are ready to pounce on any rare occasions when the top 2 drop points. As for the Milan teams, Inter find themselves poised in 5th position while the return of Kaka has done nothing to aid AC Milan's title prospects as they have had a torrid time and find themselves languishing in 13th - only 5 points of the relegation zone.

On Sunday, Inter beat AC in the Milan derby at a somewhat flat atmosphere in Northern Italy. Rodrigo Palacio neatly flicked the ball past Abbiati late on in order to send the Rossoneri home empty handed. The first week back treats us to a top of the table clash between Juventus and Roma, and a victory for Juve would give the an 8 point buffer zone. Juventus are the favourites to complete the job that they have started, but Roma could give them a bit of bother and make it tougher than they expected, however I do expect them to prevail.

#	Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Juventus	17	15	1	1	39	11	28	46
2	Roma	17	12	5	0	35	7	28	41
3	Napoli	17	11	3	3	36	20	16	36
4	Fiorentina	17	10	3	4	33	20	13	33
5	Inter Milan	17	8	7	2	37	21	16	31

Bundesliga

As expected, Bayern top the Bundesliga table by a mile, with Leverkusen in 2nd and Monchengladbach in 3rd. Bayern Munich and AS Roma are the only sides out of Europe's top leagues to be unbeaten up until now. Having only dropped 4 points from 16 games, and with a game in hand, Bayern are expected to dominate the league with having it wrapped up long before the conclusion of the season. Last year's Champions League and Bundesliga runner-up Borussia Dortmund, find themselves in 4 position, 12 points off the leader. 

Dortmund versus Bayern was played on 23 November with Munich running out 3-0 winners. The West German side held the Bavarians out until the 66th minute when Mario Gotze scored against his old team. Arjen Robben executed a majestic lob over Weidenfeller in the 85th minute before Thomas Muller completed the rout. In a league that appears to be wrapped up already, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Monchengladbach will be hoping to hold off the victory for Bayern as long as possible.

#	Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Bayern Munich	16	14	2	0	42	8	34	44
2	Bayer	17	12	1	4	32	16	16	37
3	Mönchengladbach	17	10	3	4	35	19	16	33
4	Dortmund	17	10	2	5	38	20	18	32
5	Wolfsburg	17	9	3	5	28	19	9	30

My prediction:

La Liga 

1. Real Madrid

2. Barcelona

3. Atletico Madrid

Serie A

1. Juventus

2. Roma

3. Napoli

Bundesliga

1. Bayern Munich

2. Borussia Monchengladbach

3. Borussia Dortmund