“Image transformed by Red Bull”
From the point of view of Christoph Freund, sports director at RB Leipzig’s sister club Red Bull Salzburg, the former rejection of the RB club has turned into recognition. “Here in Salzburg, the image of Red Bull has changed. You can clearly see that there is a strategy behind it and that we are acting in the interest of the sport,” said Freund in an interview with the table football. “A lot of people have won that and I believe that we have gained a lot of recognition as a result in recent years.”
RB sports director Freund: “We have found our spectrum”
According to Freund, Red Bull Salzburg “raised the level of Austrian football”. The manager once discovered by Ralf Rangnick emphasized: “I can only speak for Red Bull Salzburg and say that we have found our spectrum in which we want to work. We offer many young players the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. With us, the boys can become professional footballers at a very high level at a young age.”
Freund had only extended his contract in Salzburg in the summer and rejected an offer from Chelsea. “These are values that are very important to me. At the moment I’m just having a lot of fun. We want to continue writing our history with our philosophy and remain successful. That’s my big goal,” said the 45-year-old.
“The level we have reached is very high”
The challenge lies in “the upheaval that we experience again and again. With us, after every season, three or four players take the next step and the next ones die. When you see which talents we have developed over the past few years and then filled well, that is a great attraction. Because the level that we have reached is very high.”
In the current season, Salzburg is playing with the youngest team in the club’s history and has four World Cup participants. In the Austrian league, the subscription champions lead by six points ahead of Sturm Graz. In the Champions League, Croesus from Austria was eliminated in third place and is now playing in the Europa League.
Salzburg with the youngest team: tank a little empty
In the home game against Milan or in the away game at Chelsea, Salzburg “enthusiastic”, said Freund. “In the end we were a bit tired – also supported because we couldn’t rotate that much. The tank war somewhat empty. Mentally too,” he said.