Wings of Change: How the World’s Biggest Energy Drink Manufacturer Made a Mark in Football

by Karan Tejwani

Wings of Change is the story of how the world's biggest energy drinks company made its mark in football. After years of success in beverages and extreme sports, Red Bull took over their local club, SV Austria Salzburg, controversially changing its name, crest, colors, and history. While Red Bull were going strong, they faced a backlash from supporters who claimed they were damaging the integrity of the sport. Angry displays were seen at the ground and fans formed a phoenix club to honor the history of their former team. Similar projects soon followed in New York, Leipzig, São Paulo, and Sogakope and again provoked hostility. Within a few years, Red Bull had captured the attention of the footballing world, developing an exciting line of talent across the globe. Now an established force in football, Red Bull's two most successful teams, RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig, are more prominent than ever. This book reveals how Red Bull changed the game, exploring their successes, controversies, and innovations.

Genres: Football, Sports, Soccer, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2021

Reviews

[Lewis S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to give negative reviews but save the time you will spend reading this and take 10 minutes to research on Wikipedia. I chose to read this book after Jesse Marsch moved to Leeds and it inspired me to delve deeper into him and Red Bull in general. The book started with promise but lacked structure, was clunky and had typos, grammatical howlers and a lack of fact-checking - I don't remember Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig getting to a Champions League final?! There was nothing original about it bar a quite boring interview with Bradley Wright-Phillips. I was hoping for some quotes from Marsch himself, Ralf Rangnick, Ralph Hasenhuttl or anyone of note. But no, it was just bits lifted from other articles which I could have found myself in a five-minute session on Google.

[James Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book seems rushed - with two typos and the structuring of the chapters being a bit weird (there doesn't feel like there's a common thread all throughout the book). I would've liked a bit more on data sciency stuff as well instead of some chapters which felt irrelevant/repetitive (the one on Bradley Wright-Phillips and the last chapter spring to mind).

Other than that - I found the book very enjoyable and informative throughout!

[Alex Mann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a tough read. Lots of interesting bits in there if you get through it but the book lacks a lot structure, and a bit too much “they won this match, then they won this match”. The author is also gushing over Red Bull and although there is a lot to praise, it reads a bit like a marketing piece in places bar a more critical chapter. It’s well researched, but could have been much better written.

[Justin Lehmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a bad habit of diving even deeper into things that cause me distress. Enter this book. United are shit, Ralf's project is off to a rough start, etc. Natural reaction is to then read a history of his work with RB. Pretty brutal writing, if we're being honest. The structure of the book is a bit of a mess and I caught at least a couple typos. That said, useful information and I was able to read it in a night. On to the next one.

[Andrew Guild · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of interesting content and insight into how Red Bull has become a prominent force in world football. On the downside it feels as if the author was hard done by his editor with the structure of the book being slightly confusing and there being several grammatical mistakes. Overall I would recommend this book and am glad to have read it.

[Yorben Geerinckx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wings of Change schetst een mooi totaalbeeld van het voetbalimperium van Red Bull. Alle aspecten van de strategie, zowel sportief als extrasportief, worden duidelijk uitgelegd. Maar evenzeer wordt er ook kritisch stilgestaan bij de negatieve kanten.

[Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well-written

An interesting and well-written account of Red Bull’s impressive track record in sports -and football in particular. A fascinating and inspiring story.

[Jarrod Birch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utterly woeful writing ruins a subject matter which is full of promise

[Daniel White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting in parts, but the book lacked structure and you’d be able to find most of the information on Wikipedia. Was hoping for more to be honest

[Adam Znasik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Všetko ok, ale absolútne tu chýbajú čísla, ktoré sú na tomto projekte najzaujímavejšie. Vlastne nechápem prečo.

[Brendan Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red Bull is a marketing phenonium. How an energy drink became a global giant on the back of innovative marketing is a fascinating business story. One small piece of that story is the interaction of the brand and football. As the company took over (or influenced) more and more clubs, the more interesting story became not the impact of the game on Red Bull, but rather Red Bull’s influence on the game of football.

Wings of Change is a detailed look at the relationship between football and Red Bull. After initially focusing on extreme sports, Red Bull took over the nearest team to their global headquarters in Salzburg, Austria. Similar projects followed in New York, Leipzig, São Paulo, and Ghana.

Horrifyingly to many, they proceeded to change the names, crest, and colours of the clubs. However what felt like a marketing stunt has become something much more tangible as the company have shown an aptitude for running a footballing empire and developing exciting young talent around the world.

After setting the broad background of the company and it’s initial steps into the world of football, the book zooms in and out as the story progresses. Generally the various club’s results and seasons are sketched at a high level as part of deep dives into the key personnel across the organization. The book is at its best when focusing on the fascinating stories of the young coaches, Julian Nagelsmann and Jesse Marsch, who have become among the most coveted in European football and the grand overseer of the football project, Ralf Rangnick. The section on New York Red Bull’s is also a fascinating insight into the club and MLS.

Tejwani is clearly an admirer of the results Red Bull have achieved, especially in developing coaches and players. At times there can be a bit too much praise, and a more critical eye on the impact of the organization on the wider leagues they operate in would have been welcome (there is some but it gets a little lost).

Overall this is a fascinating overview of Red Bull’s engagement in football and the key characters involved. The impact of their investment is only likely to grow overtime and this book offers a welcome focus on the type of corporate investment in a global football organization which is only likely to grow over time.

(You can read all of my sports book reviews at https://allsportsbooks.reviews/)

[Nick Matra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5