The background to the dispute is unknown. But had an award for symbolic theater been presented at the weekend, those RB Leipzig supporters who jostled each other in the away block of the An der Alten Försterei stadium would have stood a chance of success. A video circulating on the internet shows a dozen of the Bundesliga club’s notorious fans pushing and hitting each other like never before – amid the screeching of spectators on the other side of the fence separating home and away fans, “Fuck you, fuck you!” they shouted. What’s symbolic about it? Well: At RB, internal cohesion is not the best.
Leipzig is still waiting for their first win of the season, the draws in Stuttgart and Cologne were followed by a 2-1 draw against 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday. The first defeat of the new season took place under the eyes of RB boss Oliver Mintzlaff, who remained silent after the game – possibly to avoid the augmentative that was on the tongue. Mintzlaff had already spoken of a “crappy start to the season” after matchday number two, what should he have said after the bankruptcy at 1. FC Union? Exactly: that the start of the season is now even worse.
But even without new statements, Mintzlaff’s words remained on everyone’s lips. On the one hand, RB coach Domenico Tedesco tried to escape to the basics; in principle, a boss is allowed to do “everything,” he said. On the other hand: Between the lines you could very well hear that he found Mintzlaff’s outburst unhelpful. Of course, his sentences “had an effect,” which was also noticed in the questions, he was addressed to Mintzlaff’s Suada “in really all interviews, even in English” – to which the consultant also spoke in the Picture-Newspaper carried resentment from Emil Forsberg, who wanted more playing time or away. Nevertheless: “It’s not an issue for us. We tried to work in a focused manner.” said Tedesco.
Only: it was a topic after all. Captain Willi Orban revealed that Mintzlaff appeared in the cabin during the week. He did not spread the content, something else was curious and almost piquant: that Mintzlaff had not informed the coach – who has not yet extended his contract, which expires at the end of the season – about visiting the team’s holiest hall. “I didn’t even notice that. I wasn’t there,” said Tedesco – and seemed perplexed, as if he felt horned by the head bull.
Captain Willi Orban says “that some are still a few percent short of the top level”
National striker Timo Werner, on the other hand, who had just been brought back from London by Mintzlaff, indicated that the choice of words surprised him. “Crap” is “a very harsh word,” complained Werner. But: “In the end it was a shitty start.” RB would have actually needed three wins. Just to make you forget that before the start of the season in the test against Liverpool (0: 5) and in the Supercup against FC Bayern (3: 5) you smashed teams with whom you would like to see yourself on an equal footing.
If you look at the names that are on the offensive at RB, Leipzig is without a doubt. Nkunku, Olmo, Werner, Silva, Forsberg, Szoboszlai, they all sound like TNT. But what use is explosive power when the defensive wets the fuse? Captain Orban assured “that some are still a few percent missing from the top level” – which sounded like fitness deficits, which Tedesco in turn denied. Rather, his team “slept for 20 minutes”, did not let the ball circulate quickly enough and did not shift the game as agreed. Access David Raum, allegedly brought from Hoffenheim for 26 million euros, looked like a foreign body rejected by the RB organism on the left wing.
In general, Union’s victory was only indirectly due to the physique. Rather, the Berliners were choreographically superior to Leipzig. The goals fell after formidably rehearsed attacks, which also led to success because Sheraldo Becker and access Jordan Siebatcheu harmonize splendidly. First Becker served the Swiss (32nd), then Siebatcheu the Dutchman, 2-0 after 38 minutes, the game was basically over at that point.
That’s why it became an anecdote that Werner failed to take a possible penalty (14′) and only hit the post when he had a big chance (19′). “I don’t want to say that hard times are coming. But I think we urgently need to win a game,” said Werner. The next chance is on Saturday against Wolfsburg, whose fans are now making themselves sit up and take notice. The VfL-Ultras announced a boycott – in protest against the voluminous data collection by RB Leipzig via ticket app. Fighting in the guest block in Leipzig should therefore be ruled out.