Klopp could change rival fans' perception of RB Leipzig, says Raum

LEIPZIG - David Raum believes Jurgen Klopp's appointment at Red Bull could change how RB Leipzig are perceived across Germany.

Klopp will oversee Red Bull's global operations starting in January, sparking excitement among the club's supporters, players, and staff, but indignation from some fans of the ex-Liverpool manager's former clubs, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

For Raum, the backlash is predictable. The criticism of the club stems from its ownership: Many rival supporters claim it's contravening the Bundesliga's 50+1 rule, which states that members should own 50% of the club plus hold an extra vote so they have the final say on decisions on how it's run. But RB Leipzig has a small number of members and Red Bull can refuse membership applications.

"I'm not surprised," Raum told theScore about the angry reactions. "It's typical in Germany. In the Premier League, it's not so common, there are some big investors. In Germany, a lot of people are talking about tradition in football, but I think Leipzig also have a tradition."

The full-back added: "It's a big sign that a guy like Jurgen Klopp joins the Red Bull family, so maybe it's also a sign for the other fans outside that they have to start to accept us. They have to accept what we've achieved and what we want to do."

Raum felt the anti-RB Leipzig sentiment on social media immediately after his 2022 transfer from Hoffenheim and has heard it while playing. He hasn't ruled out the possibility of RB Leipzig gradually integrating into the German football scene, though, because a figure as respected as Klopp is committed to the Red Bull project.

"I was feeling it when I joined the club. You get the comments and you have the fans at every away game shouting and hating us," Raum, currently sidelined with an ankle injury, said. "Maybe he can help to make us big and give us also a good standing in Germany for all the fans of the other clubs."

RB Leipzig won back-to-back DFB-Pokals in 2022 and 2023, and the DFL-Supercup in 2023. The club currently sits in second place in the Bundesliga, behind Bayern Munich on goal difference.