The stuff of Hollywood movies: founded in 2009, began 4 tiers below the German top flight division in fifth division and now, 2nd in Bundesliga only behind Bayern Munich and guaranteed Champions League football for the 2017-18 season.
It does not get any fairier. That is the story of little known RB Leipzig. According to Wikipedia, RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V., is a German association football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club was founded by initiative of energy drink-maker Red Bull GmbH who purchased the playing rights of the fifth division side SSV Markranstädt with the intention of advancing the new club to the top-flight Bundesliga within eight years.
In its inaugural season in 2009–10, RB Leipzig dominated the NOFV-Oberliga Süd (German division V) and was promoted as champions to the Regionalliga Nord (IV). RB Leipzig won the 2012–13 Regionalliga Nordost season without conceding a single defeat and was promoted to the 3-Liga (III), then finished the 2013–14 3.
Liga season as runner-up and was promoted to the 2-Bundesliga (II) as the first team since the introduction of the 3-Liga to win promotion after only one season. On 8 May 2016, Leipzig ensured promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2016–17 season with a 2–0 defeat of Karlsruher SC.[2]
One year later, Leipzig confirmed their place in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League after beating Hertha Berlin 4–1. This is one of the best achievements ever made in the history of the club.
RB Leipzig plays its home matches at the 43,000-capacity Red Bull Arena and until recently, had less than 8 ,000 average attendance - a figure that is now nearing 30,000.
