Mario Gomez has resisted the impression that the Leipzig sister clubs New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil should offer young players a direct or indirect springboard to RB Leipzig. “That’s often said, but it’s just not true. That was never requested by Oliver Mintzlaff or our board,” said the new technical director for the Leipzig, New York and Brazil locations. “We want New York and Bragantino to be top clubs in their own right.”
Salzburg, on the other hand, is “completely operationally independent” due to UEFA regulations. Red Bull is the main sponsor, according to Gomez, “but this is no different partnership than VfB Stuttgart with the Mercedes-Benz Bank or FC Bayern with Telekom Exchanges with those responsible must remain open.Of course, Gomez looks at what is going well in Salzburg, “and of course I am in contact with Christoph Freund, who has been doing a very good job there as sports director for years.”
Up to 20 transfers from Salzburg to RB Leipzig
The “unbundling” of the clubs, which was officially completed in 2016, has not changed much in terms of the frequent transfers from Austria to Leipzig. According to Transfermarkt, there were a total of 18 changes from Salzburg to RB Leipzig – nine since the 2016/17 season – and six in the other direction. Other counts even come to 20 deals towards RBL. Apart from the in-house cooperation club FC Liefer, this is the largest transfer stream in the history of the Salzburg club. It would be even bigger if you added the Leipzig youth teams and the dissolved U23.
Gomez described his role as technical director as follows: “Sports issues end up on my desk. I have a lively exchange with the coaches and sports directors and sometimes also with the players. I see an important task in connecting these forces so that you Hear different opinions and form a better opinion of your own.” Red Bull wants to create, connect and drive global structures so that local people in the clubs can be successful.
