Red Bull Leipzig cleared for Champions League by UEFA after ownership issue

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For those unaware, the RB in RB Leipzig stands for RasenBallsport Leipzig, which literally means Lawn Ball Sport Leipzig, a name that was made up so that it could be abbreviated to RB and thus associated to Red Bull as Germany prohibits football teams from being named after sponsors.

Bundesliga runners-up RB Leipzig and Austrian champions Salzburg can both play in the Champions League next season after UEFA said it was satisfied that energy drinks manufacturer Red Bull does not have a controlling influence in both clubs. Great for the company, right?

Competition rules stateclubs with strong links to one another can not compete against each other in their competitions in the same season due to concerns over a conflict of interest.

Red Bull Salzburg, who were crowned Austrian league champions, will enter the Champions League in the second qualifying round, while RB Leipzig, who finished second in the German Bundesliga, will go straight into the group stages.

It is well known that Red Bull effectively owns two clubs in Europe, buying the former SV Austria Salzburg in 2005 before purchasing the licence of German fourth-tier side SSV Markranstädt in 2009 for the newly-formed RB Leipzig.

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The Guinea midfielder was outstanding last season and ran the show from midfield on numerous occasions.

The fact they might not be playing in Europe's premier competition will improve our chances of signing Keita, Jurgen Klopp's primary central midfield target. In cases where that happens, priority is given to a team who are champions of their country - meaning that Leipzig would have missed out.

The decision, when it arrives, could play a big role in Liverpool's pursuit of the player, as it makes their hand far, far stronger in the negotiations.

It will be intriguing to see how they fare in their first campaign in the Champions League but much could depend on whether they are able to retain the services of key players, such as Naby Keita.

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