Until a few days ago, when older brother Leipzig reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, The biggest European achievement of Red Bull's football adventure was this Salzburg youth. The Austrians are one of the four clubs that have inscribed their name on the list of (herewith) seven editions of the Youth League. They did it in 2017 when they defeated Benfica 2-1 (then Madrid's executioner in the semis) in Nyon. Several of the champions are playing in the Salzburg first team today and Haidara is at Leipzig.
The energy drink brand has turned the team from the city where its owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, resides, into the nursery of the German team, Red Bull's great bet to conquer European football. Almost two dozen footballers have jumped from Salzburg (acquired in 2005) to Leipzig (in 2009): Haidara himself, Upamecano (Madrid's object of desire), Naby Keita and Laimer, among others. Sadio Mané or Haaland have also passed through the Red Bull Arena, the greatest exponent of his success in the search for young talents. In just one year in Salzburg, the Norwegian striker, now at Dortmund, went from unknown to unstoppable scorer. A policy that leaves economic returns. In five years, they have raised € 200 million in transfers.
The final draw of the 2019-2020 UEFA Youth League. AS infographic
Red Bull's training plan is not lacking in ambition or resources and emulates their motorsport strategy. Salzburg is to Leipzig what Alpha Tauri (formerly Toro Rosso) is to the main Formula 1 team. And as a subsidiary of the Austrian team they have Liefering in the second division, third this year and whose squad is practically the same as that of this youth Salzburg.
Despite the fact that Salzburg and Leipzig are two teams clearly linked to Red Bull, the energy drink brand has managed to circumvent UEFA regulations, which prevent two teams of the same owner from meeting in European competitions, and in 2018 they even faced each other in the Europa League.