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Mintzlaff speaks plainly: RB Leipzig under pressure after 0:6!
RB Leipzig starts the 2025 season with a 6-0 defeat against Bayern. Mintzlaff comments on transfers and team mood.
Mintzlaff speaks plainly: RB Leipzig under pressure after 0:6!
The start of the new season could hardly be worse for RB Leipzig: with a humiliating 0:6, the team paid a lot of lessons against record champions Bayern Munich last weekend. Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Red Bull, and Mario Gomez, the technical director, were live in the stadium and had to witness their team's disastrous performance first hand. On the sidelines of the Sport BILD Awards in Hamburg, Mintzlaff expressed his incomprehension about the “despondent” performance, which did not live up to his expectations at the start of the season. After all, he had hoped for a more successful start after a mixed last season. Picture reports that the pressure on the team has now increased and Mintzlaff is demanding a clear reaction in the next home game against Heidenheim on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Regardless of the people on the bench, there is another shadow hanging over RB Leipzig. Xavi Simons, the team's 22-year-old star, is showing increasing interest in a move to Chelsea. Despite his contract until 2027, the player has repeatedly stated that the Premier League is his preferred destination. Mintzlaff confirmed that discussions about a possible transfer are taking place, but an agreement must be suitable for all sides. “There has to be good agreement for all parties,” said the Red Bull boss. Chelsea have not yet made an offer and RB Leipzig are demanding at least 70 million euros for Simons, who attracted attention with 15 goals and 7 assists last season. OneFootball continues to report that time is of the essence as the transfer window closes next Monday at 8 p.m.
Squad development and future prospects
In preparation for this season, the club has invested heavily in its squad: a total of 12 new players were signed, with a total transfer fee of 112 million euros. The average age of the newcomers is 22 years, which indicates a clear strategy to promote young talent. However, the transfer balance is not entirely rosy with a deficit of -25.20 million euros. The club earned 86.80 million euros, but expenses exceeded income. Transfer market lists the details of the new signings, which have not yet been announced in detail.
There is currently a certain optimism internally that Xavi Simons could find a new club before deadline day if Chelsea can meet Leipzig's financial framework. But if an agreement cannot be reached by then, the talented player will stay at RB Leipzig for the time being and will try to implement the previously promised return to the club's roots with meteorites in the storm. Boss Mintzlaff and sports director Marcel Schäfer know that crucial months will begin in the coming weeks.