Could one of the most controversial investors in world football be coming to the A-League? There are whispers that Red Bull might be looking to set up a club in Australia.
Rumours were rife at the start of the season that the Austrian energy drinks company was sniffing around the A-League, and John Stensholt confirmed in the Australian Financial Review this weekend that Red Bull was indeed “investigating buying or establishing a team in the A-League”.
So is it a good move for the A-League? It depends on how they go about things.
If they take an already-established club and try and wipe the slate clean as they shamefully did in Salzburg, Red Bull will only succeed in creating another pariah club hated within its own domestic league.
And if they buy the playing rights of a tiny outfit like they did with SSV Markranstädt, rebranding them ‘RasenBallsport Leipzig’ to get around the Bundesliga’s anti-corporate laws which prohibit direct reference to brands, they’ll simply create another club that can join RB Leipzig among the ranks of the world’s most despised teams.
But if they were to form their own club from scratch – and better yet build a boutique stadium – then it’s hard to see why the A-League would turn down Red Bull’s overtures.
Were Red Bull to take charge of an already existing club, it would probably look similar to the confusingly-named New York Red Bulls, who started out life in 1996 as the New York/New Jersey Metrostars before being bought and re-branded ten years later.
New York Red Bulls don’t actually play in New York – they’re based in Harrison, New Jersey – but crucially, the company helped construct the 25,000-capacity Red Bull Arena.
They also have a new regional rival in the presence of New York City, and you wouldn’t put it past Red Bull wanting to create a similar rivalry with another re-branded club in the form of Melbourne City.
The question is: where could they do it?
Would it be in a major capital, like Melbourne or Sydney, which already has a substantial A-League presence? Or maybe somewhere that could support a second team, like Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth?
Could it be in a city that already boasts a stadium but no A-League team, like Gold Coast or Wollongong? Or might Red Bull throw their support behind a region desperate to enter the fray, such as Casey-Dandenong or Geelong?
Whatever the case, Football Federation Australia has made it clear there will be no expansion before the 2018-19 season – and Red Bull’s interest may be little more than idle paper talk anyway.
But it’s certainly an interesting prospect to consider, in a league where outside investment hasn’t always been easy to come by.
It was also interesting to see two A-League games scheduled yesterday, and both Melbourne City’s 3-2 win over the Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar’s 3-1 defeat of Newcastle Jets were absorbing encounters.
The complexion of both games changed courtesy of a red card, albeit in dramatically different circumstances.
The Mariners were more than matching their star-studded opponents when goalkeeper Paul Izzo inexplicably pulled back Bruno Fornaroli in front of an open goal, earning himself an early shower when he should have just let the Uruguayan score instead of leaving his team a man down.
Stand-in skipper Jason Hoffman was more hard done by in Newcastle’s loss to the Roar, collecting two innocuous yellow cards that weren’t originally picked up in the Fox Sports commentary – with incredulous Jets coach Mark Jones subsequently getting himself sent to the stands for dissent.
In the end, the Jets couldn’t hold on against the fast-finishing visitors, but what was perhaps most noteworthy was the fact that both games were highly watchable on a day not exactly renowned for providing entertaining fixtures.
Two games on Sundays is something we should see more of.
But Red Bull in the A-League? The jury is out on that one.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Said partially tounge in cheek KJ, but still heres the point I would like to make. Sydney is city combining multiple city councils together. Its often lumped together as one big area such as this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_government_areas_of_New_South_Wales#/media/File:Sydney_councils.png This is different from Brisbane and Ipswich/Logan/Redlands/Gold Coast/Moreton being combined into Brisbane etc. The density just isnt there for it at all.
KJ
Roar Rookie
Wow. I'm surprised I caused so much reaction. I assume steve and Vincent Hugh see Western Sydney Wanderers as being based to the West of Sydney and not multiple cities over? Or the fact that the Wollongong/Illawara bid is being touted as South Sydney, even though they are multiple cities to the south of Sydney. Or the Dandenong team as SE Melbourne. Heck, Melbourne only has 2 AFL teams, right?
Buddy
Guest
I'm shocked at those figures Waz. Our under 6's pay $70 for the season plus $25 for shorts and socks. They all get a ball and a coach that has at least completed a grassroots course as a minimum. Under 13's $185 same deal and no weekly fees either. I take it that the money is helping to pay adult wage bill?
Lofty
Guest
Waz, not sure what the going rate is around Aus but my boys U9 and U12 pay less than that in Perth. Around the $200 mark. Both boys played AFL Auskick when they were younger which is a fair bit cheaper because, from my understanding, subsidised by the sponsor NAB. In my opinion it would be better to have a large company like red bull involved in sponsoring the A-league as a whole but who would know if that would trickle down to grass roots level or if they would even be interested.
R King
Guest
KAKS - I'm all for the fans 'owning' their clubs. I have no real knowledge on how their system works in Germany or even if the Austrian system is any different? I think we can all agree that the FFA won't sanction fans owning an A League club, now or in the future. So all we are going to be left with is a corporate ownership model, take it or leave it.
R King
Guest
wait till they are in their teenage years and show some 'potential'. Isn't it strange though, when the costs of running the code comes up for discussion so many people out there are quick to claim how expensive it is. Maybe it is only expensive to those who can't afford it?
c
Guest
haha very funny
Swanny
Guest
Psv Eindhoven is a club from the Phillips electrical company in holland
Swanny
Guest
Actually jones is doing worse then last season . Miller would have done a better job with these players he brought to the club .
Locomotiv
Guest
I think its clever of Red Bull to buy into football clubs to indirectly promote something else. Its like Macdonalds creating "Ronald Macdonald House". Or Mark Zuckerburg donating his fortune to the "Mark Zuckerburg Foundation" We know what they are up to, but still you wouldnt reject the later. Another positive for fans would be is that you wouldnt have to change the jersey every couple of years for the front of shirt sponsor will remain the same. Yes to Brisbane Red Bulls. Buy out Strikers, Buy out Perry Park, 15k Boutique Stadium. Brisbane loves a franchise.
Lionheart
Guest
Burleigh Bulls
tully101
Roar Guru
get off it, we were heart for a very small period of time
Lionheart
Guest
Hope you're feeling better Swanny. I read somewhere, think it was a match report, that Roar dominated and won 3-1.
Xavier Smith
Roar Rookie
Gold Coast Red Bulls will surely feel most at home on Cavill Avenue
Kaks
Roar Guru
I've read contrasting reports based on where you live, however it is extremely affordable in Sydney as well (similar to how much you paid in Brisbane) - unless you are going into rep football, that's when the costs are astronomical.
Nemesis
Guest
I think Aleague is about 100th on the list not 4th. It's about to fold any day now. Just wait and see. AFL will soon be the global game. They've got 35 people playing in Crotia, so it's already happening.
c
Guest
soccer is number 4 that's why we need these investor types to overcome the barriers you have highlighted
steve
Guest
I didn't suggest it would fail, I said people shouldn't be comparing apples and oranges. Australia is in a unique situation where soccer is the nations 4th code of football where money, sponsorship dollars and TV and media interest lag behind the other three codes, not to mention other sports like cricket. I fully well understand what Red Bull have done in football and motorsport etc. While Red Bull have generally been successful in what they have done, they are without a doubt brand first, sport second.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Heres a thought, my local club is called Ipswich City FC but its mascot is a Bull and they are more commonly referred to as the Ipswich City Bulls and games often feature a giant fibreglass bull being paraded around. PERFECT. MAke it happen David!
Josh
Guest
Because he had to throw an insult in about A league having empty stadiums. Just can't help himself.