RB Leipzig (women)

RB Leipzig are a German women's football club based in Leipzig that competes in the Bundesliga, the top tier of football in Germany. Their second team has been part of the Regionalliga since 2020.

History

Establishment

RB Leipzig entered women's football in 2016. The club initially planned to partner with Leipziger FC 07, forming a joint team in the fourth tier Landesliga Sachsen. The partnership was meant to last for one year, after which RB Leipzig was to continue as an independent, and reserved the right to advance. RB Leipzig and Leipziger FC 07 were given a playing right for the 2016–17 Landesliga Sachsen on a wild card by the Saxony Football Association (SFV). A few weeks before the start of the season, the partnership ended and RB Leipzig announced that it was to compete as an independent.

The first squad gathered 17 players from FFV Leipzig, five talents from the RB Leipzig women's junior teams and one from the reserve team of FF USV Jena. The team was trained by Sebastian Popp, former head coach of women's football team SV Eintracht Leipzig-Süd. The SFV expected the RB Leipzig women's team, with the state training centre for women's and girls' football, to advance from Landesliga Sachsen to Bundesliga within 3 to 5 years.

The team played its first competitive match on 7 August 2016 in the first round of the 2016–17 Saxony Cup away against SV Johannstadt 90. RB Leipzig recorded a 7–0 victory, and advanced to the next round.

The RB Leipzig women's team joined the 2016–17 Landesliga Sachsen (effectively skipping the 5th tier), generating criticism from several clubs. The criticisms were heard, and after a roundtable discussion with other clubs and the SFV, Leipzig offered to play the season starting seven youth players each game. The SFV also ordered the first three games to be replayed and disqualified Leipzig from the Saxony Cup. RB Leipzig won the league with four matchdays remaining.

After finishing 4th and 3rd in their first two seasons in the third tier, Leipzig won the Regionalliga Nordost and achieved promotion to the second division after the 2019–20 season's completion was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

In the 2022–23 season, Leipzig secured promotion to the Bundesliga with six matches remaining. They later won the division's title with four matches left, following a 6–0 away win over Eintracht Frankfurt II.

Stadium

The team play home matches at the Sportanlage Gontardweg, which is the location of the state training centre for women's and girls football of the SFV, taken over by RB Leipzig from FFV Leipzig in July 2016.

Players

First team squad

As of 1 February 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Seasons

Notes

Key

Honours

League

• 2. Bundesliga (II)
  • Champions: 2022–23
• Regionalliga Nordost (III)
  • Champions: 2019–20
• Landesliga Sachsen (IV)
  • Champions: 2016–17

Cup

• Saxony Cup (de)
  • Champions: 2018–19, 2019–20

References

External links

• Official website

1. RB Leipzig
2. RB Leipzig affiliated teams
3. 2022–23 RB Leipzig (women) season
4. Vanessa Fudalla
5. Leipzig
6. Michela Croatto
7. Lydia Andrade
8. Victoria Krug
9. Julia Magerl
10. Frederike Kempe
11. Gianna Rackow
12. Elvira Herzog
13. Korina Janež
14. Christina Beck
15. Louise Ringsing
16. Medina Dešić
17. 2022–23 Bundesliga
18. SSV Markranstädt
19. Angelina Lübcke
20. Anja Mittag