Lisbon (dpa) - coach Julian Nagelsmann sees the cooperation and networking with the other clubs founded and sponsored by Red Bull as the cornerstone for the growing success of RB Leipzig.
"It's very important. We're always looking for talented guys, we have clubs that develop their talent in a similar way that we do. It's easier for the players to get into the squad and play well," said the 33-year-old before the Bundesliga club's first participation in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday in Lisbon against Paris Saint-Germain.
As an example, Nagelsmann named the goalscorer for the 2-1 winner in the quarter-finals against Atlético Madrid, Tyler Adams. "I would be happy if there were more of his kind," said Nagelsmann. The 21-year-old US boy was trained at New York Red Bulls before coming to Leipzig in 2019. In addition to the American project, CA Bragantino from Brazil is also part of the network, which until recently was coordinated by Ralf Rangnick.
Red Bull Salzburg has been acting formally separately for some time. UEFA does not allow two clubs controlled by the same donor to participate in the same European Cup competition. In 2018, Red Bull and RB met in the group stage of the Europa League. Still, the connections are close. In the starting line-up against Atlético on Thursday were five professionals who had previously played for Red Bull Salzburg.
By reaching the semi-finals in the premier class, the RB project had now also provoked controversial international reactions with the rise from the fifth division to the top four of the continent. For Nagelsmann, there is no end in sight to this development. "It's a great trip for RB Leipzig," he said. "It is a big goal for the future to continue doing this so that we can develop at the same speed as in the past seven years, that would be great for the future."
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