Red Bull can win its first continental title that Saturday. His club in Brazil, Bragantino, faces the final of the Copa Sudamericana against Ath Paranaense (at 21:00 CET), at the historic Centenario Stadium in Montevideo. The Brazilian subsidiary has the opportunity to reach a level that neither Salzburg, Leipzig nor New York have achieved.
The rise of your project in Brazil has been meteoric. In 2019, the energy company decided to take control of the historic club in the city of Bragança Paulista (80 km from Sao Paulo) founded in 1928.
The Bragantino had had its moment of glory in the early 90s, with the address of Vanderlei Luxembourg (who began his brilliant career on the bench) and Carlos Alberto Parreira. He was Paulista champion (1990) and runner-up in the Brasileirao (1991). Players like the former sportsman came from there Mauro Silva, World Champion in 1994.
In three years, Red Bull has gone from playing in Serie B to making their debut in the final of the continent’s second most important competition. Everything planned is being executed as foreseen in its schedule: promotion (2019); qualification for the South American Cup on his return to Brasileirao (2020); qualification for the Libertadores, plus the possibility of winning a title (2021).
Now it will not be easy for him in the final against a cup specialist like Furaco, tournament champion in 2018 and that this season also faces the final of the Cup or Brazil against At. Mineiro de Hulk and Diego Costa.
AN ATTRACTIVE AND MODERN GAME MODEL
The success of the Brazilian Red Bull lies in a solid investment in the signings of young, technical footballers with an export profile. In the last year, 20 million euros have been spent, which is more than the four major São Paulo clubs put together (Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Palmeiras and Santos). Very interesting hires have arrived like the midfielder Praxedes (International), 19 years old, for which he paid 6 million euros, or the central Natan, 20 years old, who Domènec Torrent discovered in Flamengo.
In 2020, another 20 million were invested, with footballers such as the goalkeeper Cleiton (At. Mineiro), who at 24 is being the best of the Brasileirao in his position, or the extreme Artur (Palmeiras),
His appetite is not only restricted to the Brazilian market but to the entire continent. The Ecuadorian central was signed Leo Realpe (Independiente del Valle), 20, or the Uruguayan midfielder, Emiliano Martinez, which came from Nacional for $ 4 million.
Artur is one of Red Bull’s most interesting footballers
| Ari Ferreira / Red Bull Bragantino
It is no coincidence that the Bragantino have the youngest coach of the Brasileirao, Mauricio Barbieri, 40, who, after spending a year on the bench, is the coach who has been on the same team for the longest time in the Brazilian elite.
Red Bull has an attractive, offensive, well-played technical football proposal that breaks with the results that have prevailed in Brazilian clubs for too long. There is no longer any doubt that the next phase of the project is to fight for the Brasileirao.
CLAUDINHO, THE EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
Midfielder Claudinho was chosen the revelation player and the crack of the Brasileirao 2020. He ended up sharing the artillery with Luciano (Sao Paulo) after scoring 18 goals.
Tite called him for the Seleçao, as he already did with the central Leo Ortiz and with Artur. And after being Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 this last month of August He went, at the age of 24, to Zenit for 15 million euros. It is the biggest sale so far of the club, which ensures 20% of a possible transfer
This is the successful operating model that Red Bull wants to repeat. Claudinho He was signed for 500,000 euros from Corinthians, where he never settled. His time at Bragantino catapulted the career of the skilled midfielder, both sportingly – he became the best in activity in his country – and financially.
