Leipzig (Germany) (AFP)

Opponent of Paris SG on Tuesday in the semi-final of the Champions League, RB Leipzig is a creature of the Red Bull brand, which bet on youth, on the field as on his sidelines.

Five things to know about this surprise team from the last four, which eliminated Atlético Madrid (2-1) on Thursday and reminds a little of Ajax Amsterdam from last season:

. The Red Bull rocket

In 2009, the Austrian energy drink manufacturer Red Bull launched a small club in the 5th division in eastern Germany, and provided it with a substantial budget. The ascent is dazzling! Seven years and four promotions later, the RB arrives in the Bundesliga: billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, owner of the brand, has won the first part of his bet.

The ambition is clear: to become a rival to Bayern and Dortmund on the national scene as quickly as possible.

From his first season in the top flight, Leipzig finished runner-up after having been the leader for a long time. Since then, nothing seems to be able to stop the "Red Bulls", who have just finished third in the Bundesliga twice.

. An object of hate

In a Germany where the big clubs are associations and maintain a visceral link with their supporters, refusing the entry of foreign investors, the economic model of RB Leipzig arouses a violent rejection.

Ultras from Dortmund, Cologne and even Mönchengladbach, in the minority but very visible, never hesitate to insult or threaten Mateschitz on banners displayed in popular stands.

Two incidents marked the spirits: in 2016 in section, a severed and bloody bull's head was thrown on the lawn in Dresden. A few months later, Dortmund supporters physically attack Leipzig fans after a game, including families with children: ten injured.

. Without Timo Werner

RB's number one asset this season was its striker Timo Werner. Trained in Stuttgart, he arrived in Leipzig at the age of 20, and grew at the same speed as the club. In his first season, he scored 21 goals in the Bundesliga and became international. This year, he scored 28 in the league and four in the Champions League.

But, attracted by the sirens (and salaries) of the Premier League, he joined Chelsea in June and let it be known that he will not play the final phase of the Champions League with the RB.

Orphan of its only star, the team had to reinvent a style of play. Atlético paid the price and Paris will have to be wary. With or without Werner, Leipzig has wings.

. The choice of youth

Basic principle: the RB does not hire any player over 25 years old. This philosophy corresponds to the values ​​of the brand and also helps to contain the payroll.

Some elders are of course past this age, but those who have beaten Atletico, including scorers Dani Olmo (22), Tyler Adams (21), or the enormous French defender Dayot Upamecano (21) have the profile type of recruiting "Red Bull": players at the very beginning of their career, not yet international, to whom the club offers a lot of playing time and responsibilities at the highest level.

Even for his coach, Leipzig chose the youth, with Julian Nagelsmann, considered a gifted 33-year-old, who had started in the Bundesliga at ... 28, on the bench of Hoffenheim.

RB Leipzig also has a training center today considered one of the best in Germany, one of the most beautiful of which is Joshua Kimmich, today a pillar of the great Bayern Munich.

. Oasis in ex-GDR

Until the accession of modest Union Berlin last year, RB was the only Bundeslian club in the former GDR territory, although it is not a historic club from the communist era.

In the absence of a sufficient economic fabric and powerful sponsors, all the big clubs of the former GDR have indeed collapsed, including the Lokomotive Leipzig, the pride of the city until the 80s. Red Bull, with its financial means, compensates for this lack and allows the team to evolve at the highest level. Despite the hatred of the "traditionalists" of the west.

© 2020 AFP