Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 202

202: Red Bull Football Group

After finally securing their first victory of the season against Liverpool, Burnley rode that momentum into the Premier League, defeating Newcastle 2-0 in the 25th round.

As the February international break neared, players called up for national team duties departed for their respective countries. The remaining players were granted a short vacation, and the Barnfield Training Centre entered a period of rest. During this lull, Helena quietly welcomed a visitor.

“Hello, Miss Cartwright.”

“Oh, please, call me Helena.”

With a firm handshake, the tall German man smiled.

“Then you must call me Oliver.”

“Welcome to Burnley, Oliver.”

Helena gestured for her guest to sit on the sofa, and she took the seat opposite him.

The tall man, the Global Head of the Red Bull Football Group and CEO of RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga [Germany’s top professional football league], was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater.

Oliver Mintzlaff chuckled, noticing her gaze.

“Headquarters requested that I not be too conspicuous. Please excuse the casual attire.”

“No, not at all. People wouldn’t recognize you unless you were wearing an RB Leipzig uniform.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Unlike managers or players, the CEO of a football club rarely gets much media exposure.

Helena briefly studied her guest, organizing her thoughts.

Red Bull Football Group.

A subsidiary of the global energy drink company, Red Bull. They’ve built a network of football clubs worldwide, recruiting and developing high-potential youth players from various countries. These players are sent to Europe to be honed to the highest level and then sold for significant profits.

In the process, the players become accustomed to the so-called Red Bull system, a distinctive football style championed by Ralf Rangnick, characterized by intense pressing, relentless activity, and solid fundamentals.

Burnley, through Hyungmin and Carolina, had already signed a considerable number of promising players from the Red Bull system, particularly from RB Salzburg in Austria, so Helena was well aware of the system.

And the CEO of RB Leipzig, who also served as the Global Head of the entire Football Group, was sitting right in front of her.

“Red Bull has been watching Cartwright Fund’s moves since acquiring Burnley with great interest. Christoph Freund and Marc Janko in Salzburg have been particularly complimentary.”

“They weren’t complaining about constantly losing promising players, were they?”

Oliver Mintzlaff chuckled at Helena’s question.

“Of course, there were plenty of complaints! After all, Manager Hyungmin Kim and Carolina know the promising players in the Red Bull system very well. But we never oppose good players moving to other clubs where they can play under good managers.”

They identify good prospects, develop them into good players, but aren’t overly possessive.

In fact, it was a natural consequence, considering that the core of the Red Bull system is based on the premise of continuously moving players to bigger and better leagues.

“Anyway, it was a great help to be able to bring in many good players from Salzburg. I appreciate that.”

“You paid a fair price to take them, that’s all.”

After exchanging pleasantries, they got down to business.

“I receive reports about club acquisition prices, but I don’t get too involved. That’s more in the realm of business.”

“Indeed.”

Oliver Mintzlaff took out prepared materials from his bag and handed them to Helena.

She slowly turned the pages, listening intently to his explanation.

“The reason I came to see you today is because New York informed me that you have full authority to decide on the final acquisition partner, and that you prioritize the football project of the acquirer above all else.”

In short, the suitor was there to present his ideals and vision to the seller.

Helena nodded, flipping through the materials as Oliver Mintzlaff elaborated.

As is well known, the Red Bull Football Group consists of five clubs.

RB Salzburg, belonging to the Austrian Bundesliga [Austria’s top professional football league].

RB Liefering, belonging to the Austrian Second League.

RB Leipzig, belonging to the German Bundesliga.

New York Red Bulls, belonging to the American MLS [Major League Soccer, the top professional league in the United States and Canada].

And Red Bull Bragantino, belonging to the Brazilian First League.

Based on the same football philosophy, they nurture promising players, sequentially transferring them to higher-level clubs, giving players the experience of playing in bigger leagues while honing their skills.

Basically, players discovered in North and South America head to Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil or the New York Red Bulls.

After those players develop their skills, they head to RB Salzburg, the primary gathering place for players discovered in Africa and Europe.

Recently, players discovered in Asia, like Hwang Hee-chan and Takumi Minamino, have also started to appear, and they also receive training at RB Salzburg.

If their skills are slightly lacking, or if the competition is too fierce in the first team, they are given the opportunity and time to refine themselves by going on loan to RB Liefering, which belongs to the Austrian Second League.

And then, the destinations of successfully nurtured players are largely divided into two categories.

Cases where other clubs immediately acquire them from a young age.

Or cases where they go to RB Leipzig to finally prove their skills and further increase their value.

Not perfect, but currently the most well-organized football club system in the world.

The City Football Group, to which Manchester City belongs, also claims to be a global football club system, but unlike them, who are criticized for accumulating a lot of promising players and hardly using them in the first team, RB Leipzig sources most of its first team from within.

“If Burnley were to enter the Red Bull system, Burnley would become the final destination, not RB Leipzig.”

On the new page that was turned, RB Leipzig, which was previously at the top of the pyramid, was pushed down one step, and Burnley was placed above it.

Helena smiled slightly at the image of Burnley’s shield-shaped logo, centered on blue and yellow, being supported by Red Bull’s red bulls.

Seeing her smile, Oliver Mintzlaff continued.

“We understand that Burnley, after being acquired by Cartwright Fund, will continue to develop promising players as a selling club. In fact, our scouting team has praised Burnley’s football director and scouting team. They say it’s the best combination of good scouting and adequate funding.”

Burnley’s player acquisitions have been overwhelmingly successful, at least for the past two seasons.

Helena smiled and waved her hand dismissively at Oliver Mintzlaff’s praise.

“Jonathan and the scouting team worked hard, but we also had good luck.”

Oliver Mintzlaff shook his head at Helena’s modesty.

“Luck is also part of skill. Sports like football can’t avoid the influence of luck.”

“That’s true.”

Since the Cartwright Fund in New York had already reviewed and approved the club’s valuation and other conditions, they had arranged a face-to-face meeting.

“I’ve listened carefully to your explanation, Oliver.”

“I know that other organizations are also sending proposals.”

Oliver Mintzlaff, realizing that the interview was over, said with a smile.

“But from a football perspective, I am confident that Red Bull can be the best partner.”

***

After seeing off her guest, Helena sat alone in her office for a while before heading to another office nearby.

It was a holiday, but as she expected, the young man with black hair was in his office.

Game scenes were constantly playing on a large screen on one wall, and the man was sitting on his sofa, muttering to himself and furiously writing down his thoughts in a notebook.

“…When the number 9 breaks through, the number 6 comes up from below, and the number 11 moves to the right…”

“…Check the position of the defense in the attack development situation…”

“…The back space is weak. Go up the left flank…”

Tomorrow, those messy notes would be neatly organized and sent to the coaching staff and video analysis team via email, and a tactical meeting would be held based on the data extracted from them.

Of course, it was an open secret within Burnley that their young manager’s handwriting was sometimes so bad that he couldn’t even interpret his own notes, but since no one could help with the interpretation anyway, the manager was left alone to struggle and decipher the hieroglyphs he had drawn.

Helena watched the man writing notes, unaware of her presence, as she stood by the door for a long time, until finally the whistle ending the game sounded from the screen, and she entered the office.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh? Helena? Is the meeting already over?”

Hyungmin asked, brightening up as he saw her.

Helena approached her boyfriend, kissed him on the cheek, and then sat next to him, pointing to the notebook and the large screen.

“Are you analyzing Ajax?”

“Carolina has already decided to analyze West Ham, so I’m trying to prepare in advance.”

“You’re busy.”

Hyungmin smiled and shook his head at Helena’s words.

“Did the meeting go well?”

“Um… well, it was just a meeting. Neither good nor bad, just a meeting.”

“CEO Oliver Mintzlaff came in person, right?”

Helena looked at her boyfriend at Hyungmin’s question.

“Do you know him?”

“Not well. I wasn’t in a position to contact him when I was working at Red Bull. But Carolina will know him well. She worked with him at Leipzig.”

“I see…”

Helena muttered, pointing to the notebook that Hyungmin had written on.

“How’s Ajax?”

“Ah, Ajax.”

Hyungmin, looking down at his notebook, tilted his head.

“Um… Ajax. Ajax is… a good team.”

“Hey, don’t do that. You don’t have to be like that with me.”

Hyungmin, who had developed a habit of not giving direct answers thanks to the reporters who persistently asked for evaluations of the opposing team at every press conference, chuckled at Helena’s words.

“I guess not.”

“So, how’s Ajax?”

“Um…”

Hyungmin, who had been choosing his words in his head for a long time, finally leaned over and whispered in Helena’s ear.

“…I feel like we can just chew them up and swallow them whole?”