"It Gives You Wings!.."
Hello and welcome to my first FM20 save.
Formed in 1987, Red Bull is an Austrian company founded by Dietrich Mateschitz. Formed after being inspired from drinks in the Far East, Dietrich came up with his own energy drink and brand. In 1987, the drink was released in Austria for the first time. Eventually the drink was introduced to the United States and as the year's roll on, and through impressive promotion campaigns and branding, the brand has grown at an exponential rate and now are one of the most well-known brands in the world. But an energy drinks brand, Red Bull is a brand you wouldn't expect to be a leading sports brand additionally. Just like as their commercial success in the world of energy drinks, Red Bull are now becoming a force within the sports world. With teams ranging from football to motorsports, aswell as other avenues such as sailing, surfing and other 'xtreme' sports, Red Bull's rise in the world of sports is nothing short of monumental.
But how does this relate to Football Manager?...
In 2005, Red Bull purchased Austria Salzburg who were renamed FC Red Bull Salzburg. Additionally, the company looked into German football and decided on Leipzig. Ready for the 2009/10 campaign, RB Leipzig were formed and began their life in the German 5th division. Red Bull themselves stated their ambitions to compete in the German top-flight and Leipzig swiftly moved to a new stadium, named the Red Bull Arena. With investment from the Austrian brand, RB Leipzig finally got their wish when they were promoted to the Bundesliga in 2016. Critics had questioned their application of the 50 + 1 rule which states the club and its members must possess the majority of shares and voting rights. Many Leipzig fans take exception to the accusations of excessive expenditure, instead citing their investment in youth. Overall, Red Bull's association with football has been a hotly contested topic, particularly among German clubs, with Leipzig currently looking good sitting fourth in the Bundesliga.
And this is where the challenge begins....
The idea of the save is to bring the Red Bull clubs to the forefront in the footballing world. RB Salzburg is where my story will begin. The idea/vision with Salzburg is to establish the club in the scene of european football. To help bring Austria as an competitive footballing nation as a way of Red Bull extending their commercial success in the world. I'll also be keeping check the other Red Bull clubs in world football... Will Leipzig need help to overthrow the dominance of Bayern in German football?... Will I decide to take change of scenery later in my managerial career in the USA?.... We'll have to see and hopefully you'll all enjoy the ride.