Dusseldorf (dpa) – A Borussia Dortmund fan group plans to boycott the side’s Bundesliga away match at promoted RB Leipzig in a protest against commercialism in football.
The fan collective Suedtribuene Dortmund, which gathers behind the goal in the south stand and travels to the side’s away matches, said it would stay away from the September 10 game at Red Bull-backed Leipzig.
Fans of Germany’s more traditional clubs have been critical of the RB Leipzig ownership model and the eastern German club as a marketing vehicle by the energy drinks firm.
Leipzig’s business model «stands against everything that we associate with football,» the fan group said.
«It is scandalous that a purely commercial marketing branch of an Austrian drinks manufacturer can actually compete in Germany’s top flight. This goes against all sporting and emotional values,» a statement said.
RB Leipzig was founded in 2009 as an investment by Red Bull who bought the licence of fifth-tier side SSV Markranstaedt.
As club names cannot be used in Germany by sponsors for marketing purposes, the initials RB officially stand for «RasenBallsport» (lawn ball sport), merely suggesting Red Bull’s ownership.
RB Leipzig secured promotion after finishing second behind Freiburg in the second division last season.
They go into the new season in two weeks with Austrian Ralph Hasenhuettl as their new coach after he moved from Ingolstadt to succeed Ralf Rangnick, who had combined the jobs of coach and sports director.
