Dietrich Mateschitz liked soccer.
The Red Bull supremo, who died in October final yr, was extraordinarily enthusiastic about the sport and having seen his firm work wonders in varied different sports activities, he needed them to succeed in soccer the most.
So when Red Bull took over Austria Salzburg – the membership from the metropolis in which the firm is predicated – there was nice optimism and pleasure. It turned bitter rapidly.
When Red Bull approached Austria Salzburg a few plan to assist in 2005, there was an expectation they might be main sponsors, aiding them by their monetary troubles.
The membership’s chairman at the time, Rudi Quehenberger, spoke extremely of the power drink producer’s involvement as properly, with German icon Franz Beckenbauer – a detailed buddy of Mateschitz – set to signal on too.
However, as talks progressed, it grew to become clear Red Bull didn’t simply need to sponsor them, they needed general change – from colors, to crest, to call – and that infuriated the membership’s followers.
On 13 June 2005, after weeks of protests and rejection, Austria Salzburg grew to become Red Bull Salzburg, and their conventional purple colors grew to become purple and white.
The altering of colors and crest provoked most anger, and after talks between fan teams and Red Bull, the firm got here to an settlement to have violet solely on the goalkeeper socks, additional elevating tensions and alienating a big group of their help.
It’s not unusual for Austrian golf equipment to undertake a sponsor title into the official membership title.
Even Austria Salzburg had been referred to as Casino Salzburg in the season they reached the Uefa Cup last in 1994, once they misplaced over two legs to Inter Milan.
However, Red Bull’s options had been simply an excessive amount of, and the followers determined they needed no a part of it, as board member Stefan Schubert explains.
“That firm had simply destroyed an enormous a part of our lives. Dropped the colors. Erased the historical past. We had negotiated with them for some time and all they provided in the finish was to maintain the goalkeeper’s socks violet. We needed to maintain our membership, our historical past, our colors,” he says.
“It was not attainable to take action with that firm, so we determined to begin our personal membership. Honestly, we didn’t have the slightest thought what we had been entering into. It was, and nonetheless is, a number of work but additionally fairly enjoyable.”
A giant portion of the supporters fashioned their very own phoenix membership a yr later, maintaining the unique title and historical past, even sustaining that they had been fashioned in 1933, when Austria Salzburg was fashioned.
In the 78th minute of each residence sport at Austria Salzburg, Franz Xaver Ager, generally referred to as ‘Schutzei’ makes his approach to the entrance of the gamers’ tunnel in the compact Austria Stadion and in a loud tone begins his calling: “Ratatatatatata,” he shouts, and is answered by an excellent lounder shout, in unison, from the remainder of the stadium of “Austria!”
This commemorates the membership’s unique historical past by doing it in the thirty third minute of the second half of each sport, in tribute to their founding yr of 1933.
On Tuesday, Austria Salzburg will play Red Bull Salzburg in the OFB Cup. It will likely be the first assembly between the two sides.
Plenty has modified in the time since Red Bull’s takeover.
Red Bull Salzburg have turn out to be Austria’s premier drive, profitable 14 league championships and 9 OFB Cups since 2005. They have helped to develop a few of the sport’s greatest gamers together with Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane, Marcel Sabitzer and Dayot Upamecano.
On the different aspect, Austria Salzburg have been up and down the third (the place they’re now) and fourth divisions and haven’t got the riches {that a} main conglomerate can provide them so are at all times striving merely to make ends meet.
However, the animosity continues to be rife.
When the draw was introduced in July, Austria Salzburg refused to make use of Red Bull Salzburg’s title in promotional adverts, utilizing solely initials, whereas the emblem was changed with a black circle with ‘RBS’ in the center of it.
It could be a giant sport for any membership in the third division, however it’s naturally even larger for Austria Salzburg given the backstory.
Schubert, who has been with the membership since the begin and finally joined the board, explains: “We all knew the day would come and I’m fairly certain many followers had hoped to attract them in the cup.
“Big video games imply a giant stage, one thing we don’t get usually in the third division. So most of the followers had been excited by the draw. This is no doubt the greatest single sport in latest years.”
Schubert says there’s not a giant protest deliberate, however that Austria Salzburg’s existence “already is the greatest attainable protest”.
“The followers will largely concentrate on creating an incredible ambiance,” he provides. “We will have a good time our ninetieth anniversary only a few days earlier on 13 September, so September will likely be busy anyway.”
Red Bull’s presence inside Austrian soccer has seen loads of advantages for the metropolis and nation as an entire.
In 2014, they opened a state-of-the-art academy, certainly one of the greatest in Europe, and helped produce abilities that might shine throughout Europe, even spurring them to the Uefa Youth League title in 2017.
Their performances in Europe have additionally helped increase Austria’s Uefa co-efficient rating, as they reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2018 and the final 16 of the Champions League in 2022 – uncommon heights for an Austrian aspect.
In that point, they’ve additionally helped develop gamers for the nationwide group, which is now led by Ralf Rangnick, who began the youth revolution when he joined the Red Bull household in 2012, engaged on a undertaking spanning three continents alongside Salzburg’s sister golf equipment in Leipzig, New York and Sao Paulo.
The Red Bull Salzburg followers are excited for the assembly later this month too however really feel there won’t be as a lot animosity as one would count on.
“Red Bull Salzburg has no hostility in any respect in the direction of Austria Salzburg as a membership,” says one fan, who most popular to not be named.
“The hostility exists solely amongst sure followers or in extremely circles. There will hardly be any issues earlier than the match.”
The fan believes Red Bull’s presence and success has allowed Austria to turn out to be extra welcoming of the membership and that they’re extra accepted.
“Salzburg has gained a sure standing over the years, which is why acceptance has elevated all through Austria, in Salzburg anyway, apart from Austria Salzburg,” the fan says.
A derby 18 years in the making, Austria Salzburg will host Red Bull Salzburg at the bigger Untersberg-Arena in Grodig to accommodate for fan curiosity, and whereas it could be an early-round cup tie, that is arguably the greatest match of the Austrian soccer season, and certainly one of the most vital anyplace in Europe.
There is historical past, animosity and depth and it’s a combat between the riches of Red Bull Salzburg and the timeless love of Austria Salzburg.
Given their historical past and variations in success, it’s a mismatch that Red Bull Salzburg ought to win.
However, an upset would reside lengthy in the reminiscence and be a victory spoken about for years to come back.
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