RBL meets EM 2024!
The 17th European Football Championship (14 June to 14 July 2024 in Germany) features more RB Leipzig than ever before.
And not just because four games are being played in the Red Bull Arena. No. Our team has a new record number of players.
But there are also plenty of exciting stories off the pitch.
To get you in the mood for the next four weeks, here are 10 facts about UEFA Euro 2024.
1. More Red Bulls than ever before
- A total of eleven players from the current RBL squad are taking part in the European Championship. They are: Benjamin Henrichs, David Raum (both Germany), Peter Gulacsi, Willi Orban (both Hungary), Christoph Baumgartner, Nicolas Seiwald (both Austria), Dani Olmo (Spain), Xavi (Netherlands), Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia), Yussuf Poulsen (Denmark), Lois Openda (Belgium).
This means that RB Leipzig has sent more players to a World Cup or European Championship final than ever before. Ten professionals from Cottaweg took part in the last European Championship.
RB Leipzig among Europe’s top 3
- With eleven players participating, we are in third place in Europe, along with FC Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona (both also with eleven).
Most of the players are employed by Manchester City and Inter Milan (13 each). Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid each have twelve players.
2. Euro Top Value
- The player who has played in the most European Championships in Marco Rose’s squad is Peter Gulacsi. Our number one was there in 2016 and 2021, making this the third time he has been in the Hungarian squad. So far, he has played three European Championship games.
3. Oracle Hilla
- Hilla the sea lion from Leipzig Zoo is supposed to predict how Pete and his colleagues’ games will turn out. The five-year-old Californian sea lion predicted a 1:1 draw for the opening game between Germany and Scotland on Thursday. It will be interesting to see how many correct predictions Hilla has at the end of the tournament.
4. Leipzig turns Orange
- Home game for Xavi! Our Dutch attacker will definitely return to the Red Bull Arena on June 21st. With the “Elftal” he will face France (Group G) at 9 p.m.
According to the organizers of the “Fan Zone”, up to 40,000 fans from the Netherlands are expected in Leipzig for the duel between the Netherlands and France.
5. Pure atmosphere
- Josko Gvardiol and Croatia are bringing a similar number of fans to the trade fair city. The Leipzig police are expecting up to 40,000 Croatians to watch the match with Italy on site. Up to 15,000 fans of the “Squadra Azzurra” are expected.
6. The oldest EURO volunteer
- No European Championship would be possible without the numerous volunteers who help out at this event! And at the proud age of 89, Rainer Spänkuch is the oldest volunteer in Leipzig, or in Germany in general. The former postal worker was already working in the transport sector for the 2006 World Cup. Now the pensioner is also working on the driving service again.
The senior citizen still keeps fit with gymnastics and table tennis at HSG DHfK Leipzig. When it comes to football, Rainer Spänkuch keeps his fingers crossed for the Red Bulls. A very good choice, in our opinion.
7. Leipzig celebrates European Championship premiere
- Never before have European Championship games been held in Leipzig. That will now change. With the match between Portugal and the Czech Republic (Group F) on June 18th (9 p.m.), our beautiful trade fair city will also be immortalized among the European Championship host cities. Three more games will follow afterwards.
World Cup matches have already been played at the Red Bull Arena. Five matches were played in Leipzig during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
8.The youngest, the greatest – the superlatives of EURO 2024
- Tallest player: Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia) – 2.02 Meters
- Shortest player: N’Golo Kante (France) and Romano Schmid (Austria) – 1.68 Meters
- Oldest player: Pepe (Portugal) – 41 years old
- Youngest player: Lamine Yamal (Spanien) – 16 years old
- Most EURO Appearances: Cristiano Ronaldo – 6 EUROs
- Record Appearance Holder: Cristiano Ronaldo – 25 EURO matches
- Most Victories: Germany (1972, 1980, 1996) and Spain (1964, 2008, 2012) with 3 titles
9. The famous kick from Leipzig
- On June 21, France, led by superstar Kylian Mbappe, will face the Netherlands in Leipzig – not the first appearance of the “Équipe Tricolore” in the Red Bull Arena.
During the 2006 World Cup, France played South Korea in their second group match (1:1). The focus was on Zinedine Zidane, who vented his anger at his second yellow card during the tournament and the resulting suspension at the Leipzig Arena.
Out of sheer frustration, Zidane kicked a few dents into a dressing room door with the studs of his football boots. The dents in the metal door remain to this day and are a popular item on stadium tours.
10. Henri and Albärt
- The object of desire is the Henri Delaunay Cup. The winning nation will raise this trophy into the night sky on July 14 after the final in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
- The successor to the famous 2006 World Cup mascot Goleo is a bear named Albärt. He will accompany UEFA EURO 2024 in the stadium, in the fan zones and at all EURO locations.