One of the reasons some Leeds United fans locked horns with Red Bull following their minority investment was apprehension that they could become just one club in their global football machine.
As well as world-class motorsport and extreme sports operations plus a growing esports division, Red Bull now own six football clubs worldwide, plus an unspecified stake in Leeds’ ownership structure.
The backlash to Red Bull appointing Jurgen Klopp as their new global head of soccer in October stemmed partly because he has previously expressed his own reservations about the multi-club model.
“I know how much the Red Bull idea is criticised by traditionalists, and I’m one of them too,” the former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz manager said in 2022.
Much of the vitriol aimed at Klopp has come from Germany, where the multi-club model is particularly contentious because of the perception that Red Bull have circumvented the 50+1 rule.
RB Leipzig were in the fifth tier of German football when Red Bull took over in 2009.
Since then, the Saxony-based club have become Champions League regulars and are expected to soon break into the top 20 revenue generating teams in Europe, all while acting as a billboard for Red Bull.
But for Leeds fans, their club is more than a brand exposure vehicle for a drinks company that sold over 12 billion cans of their product last year.
Their investment came with the promise that Leeds name and colours would be left untouched, but Red Bull’s record-breaking front-of-shirt deal shows they won’t be an inconspicuous presence at Elland Road.
The question at Leeds is this: what are Red Bull’s long-term ambitions?
If it was just exposure that they wanted, the energy drinks titans could have simply bought the front-of-shirt rights without stumping up for an equity investment as well.
Significantly, while we don’t know exactly how much equity Red Bull have, it is not enough to earn them a seat on the board and they are believed to have no significant input in day-to-day operations.
| Leeds United director | Role |
| Paraag Marathe | Chairman |
| Andrew Schwartzberg | Vice-Chairman |
| Peter Lowy | Board Member |
| Eugene Schneur | Board Member |
| Angus Kinnear | Chief Executive |
The mystery here is perhaps best summarised by citing a popular saying in football business circles – for the buyer, a minority investment is just a very expensive season ticket.
Elsewhere in their empire, they have complete control. And the latest news relating to Red Bull’s shiny new toy in East Asia shows the scale of their ambitions in football.
Red Bull want titles by 2030 with latest investment
In August, Red Bull bought Japanese club Omiya Ardija.
They have since enacted their trademark rebrand, changing Omiya Ardija’s badge to one that looks spookily similar to RB Leipzig’s.
Red Bull have also changed the club’s name to RB Omiya Ardija and have announced that Jurgen Klopp will visit their new outpost in the North Pacific Ocean in the new year.
Ardija won promotion to the Japanese second tier last season and now have grand plans under their new ownership.
Former Germany forward Mario Gomez, who is now a technical director for Red Bull, said the new regime have “no intention of playing in the J2 for 10 years.”
As quoted by Japanese outlet The Mainchi, a Red Bull source said they plan to be “vying for the J1 title in around 2030.”
Leeds United co-investors could ‘disrupt careful balance’ in Japanese football
While there is a level of excitement in Japan about what Red Bull could do for Ardija, a historic club in the country, there is also trepidation.
Within the Japanese football system, recent years have seen increased colaboration between clubs and organisations that has created conditions ideal for player development.
That environment has seen them become a major exporter of talent, with Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu and Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma among the players to have succeeded in Europe in recent seasons.
However, as one expert argues, “the recent entry of groups such as the City Football Group and Red Bull and an influx of other foreign capital threatens to disrupt this careful balance.”
Writing for Geosport, business and international trade expert Ricardo Gúdel Fernández went on to say: “The presence of external actors could alter the sectorial diversity of owners, jeopardising the league’s distinctive organisational culture impact.
“It is essential to continue researching to analyse the consequences and adaptations of the Japanese league, assessing how it maintains its equilibrium amid these transformations.”
£75m Red Bull-backed takeover in France could signal strategy switch-up at Elland Road
Elsewhere, Red Bull’s plans in France indicate that they may be looking to diversify their style of ownership.
Leeds were their first minority investment, but Paris FC could be their second.
Alongside one of the world’s richest men in Bernard Arnault, Red Bull are looking to take a minority stake in the Ligue 2 club.
The aspiration – and one that Arnault is more than capable of financing – is for the club to become a long-term challenger for Paris Saint-Germain.
If Red Bull have the same level of faith in 49ers Enterprises, then it may be that their investment in Leeds is more of a traditional capital appreciation model than exclusively a marketing exercise.
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