RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg allowed to compete in UCL

Bengaluru, June 21: RB Leipzig made history last season by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League by finishing runners-up in Bundesliga which was their first year in the first tier of German football.

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It was a historic achievement for the Red Bull sponsored club to finish ahead of clubs like Schalke, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen just after winning Bundesliga 2 but until yesterday (June 20) there was a big question mark on whether they will be allowed to compete in the Champions League.

RB Leipzig and their sister club Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg both qualified for the Champions League but as per UEFA regulations two clubs owned by a single individual or company cannot compete at the same time.

However, yesterday UEFA confirmed that RB Leipzig, as well as Red Bull Salzburg, will play Champions League next season which will be a big relief for the fans of both sides as well as the owners.

Leipzig were founded in 2009 with backing from the company and won four promotions in seven seasons, before finishing second in their first ever top-flight season.

Red Bull bought Austria Salzburg in 2005, renaming it, but following a restructuring, it no longer has a controlling stake and merely sponsors the club.

UEFA does not allow any two clubs competing in European competition to share the same owner. In cases where that happens, priority is given to a team who are champions of their country, meaning that Leipzig would have missed out.

But UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) found there was no breach of Article 5 concerning the integrity of the competition. The decision may be appealed against to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 10 days.

A host of RB Leipzig players are being eyed by European giants like Naby Keita, Timo Werner and Emil Forsberg. After this decision from UEFA, the Bundesliga side might be able to hold onto their biggest assets.

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