The former GDR and one of the most modern football clubs in Europe. Two things which don't seem to go hand in hand, but at RasenBallsport Leipzig they do. A must-visit for everyone who is fascinated by one or both phenomenons.
RB Leipzig
‘Red Bull gives you wings?’ In Leipzig, they certainly think so. The energy drink giants took over the licence of a local amateur club in 2009 and created RB Leipzig. In no time, the club grew into the most hated club in Germany. German football fans, who love their traditions, see the club as the death of football. In the meantime, RB Leipzig has become one of the country's best clubs, and on its journey, the city of Leipzig has embraced their new football club. Initially, RB Leipzig was met with a lot of scepticism, but the inhabitants of Leipzig now see it as East Germany's answer to the big clubs from the west.
From Zentralstadion...
Zentralstadion was the stadium of the GDR in a time that you didn't see much from football behind the Iron Curtain. In typical Eastern European design, the stadium had a running track, giant, uncovered stands and floodlights that could light up the entire city. It could host 100,000 comrades and was the home of the biggest sports matches in the GDR. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the stadium, and football in general, got into decay in the east of the country.
...to Red Bull Arena
Around the turn of the century, it was decided to revamp the Zentralstadion, and in quite a special way: They were going to build a new stadium inside the old one, in view of the upcoming 2006 World Cup. A permanent resident didn't come until RB Leipzig was created and they were in need of a bigger stadium.
The surroundings make the Red Bull Arena so special. The silhouette of the Zentralstadion has remained, hence why you enter the stadium through bridges. The old main buildings of the stadiums are still being used. When you stand in front of the stadium, you have absolutely no clue that behind those old walls, you will find a relatively modern arena.
RB Training Center
Across the water next to the Red Bull Arena you'll find the RB Training Center, the training ground of RB Leipzig. The youth plays their home matches here and the first team trains here. On the odd occasion, they play friendly matches here too, which are usually open to fans.
Fankneipe
The Red Bull Arena borders an old residential area. On match days the bars here become very lively. On the corner of the Waldstraße and the Fregestraße is the Leipzig Fankneipe, one of the most popular cafes among fans of Die Roten Bullen. Next to the Fankneipe is the Sky-Pub, completely decorated with scarfs, banners and flags of lots of clubs. Tram 4 (tram stop Feuerbachstraße) stops right in front of the door.
2016: the first promotion to the Bundesliga
In May 2016, RB Leipzig promoted for the first time to the Bundesliga. A bus tour from the city to the Training Center followed, with thousands of people along the route. Afterwards, the team went to the Brauhaus on the Thomaskirchhof to celebrate the title with a lot of beer. The squad partied until the early hours in the fancy nightclub L1 on Marktplatz. During the official title celebrations, the Marktplatz was filled with 20,000 people.
Tickets
For home matches of RB Leipzig, you can order tickets on the club's official website. Make sure to order them fast, because football in Leipzig is getting more popular every week and the Red Bull Arena is regularly sold out.
How to get there
Finding a parking place around the Red Bull Arena can be tough. It's better to leave your car at one of the park and ride car parks around the city. From there you can take a tram to the stadium. We advise the parking lot on Schonauer Ring. Tram 15 will take you to the stadium in fifteen minutes (get off at Sportforum Süd).
From the centre of Leipzig, you can take trams 3, 4, 7 and 15 to the stadium.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency