In 2005, Red Bull bought SV Austria Salzburg, and rebranded it. Red Bull announced that this is a new club with no history, SV Austria ceased to exist. But the same year the fans of the Violet got together and refounded their team. SV Austria restarted in the 2. Klasse Nord the seventh League in Austria. Consecutive promotions has brought the club to the 2nd Landesliga Salzburg the 4th tier in the Austrian pyramid. This year the club is again leading the league, and it seems that promotion again is ensured. The club is not the only club that has been recreated by the fan base. In England FC United of Manchester was founded by disgruntled fans, who were unhappy by Manchester United's takeover by the Glazier Family. AFC Wimbledon was founded after the FC Wimbledon moved to Milton Keynes to play under the new name MK Dons. In Japan perhaps the most successful example is the refounding of the Yokohama Flügels as Yokohama FC. Yokohama FC actually found its way back into the Japanese top flight.
Austria Salzburg, could be the second club that might return to top flight status after being refounded by its fans. The club has made fast process towards the Austrian top league, and who knows maybe in the near future their will be a derby in Salzburg between Red Bull and Austria. The Red Bull brand has been semi-successfull. In Austria the team is a success, but has failed to reach any International honours. Mateschitz the Red Bull owner had hoped to create a successfull football brand in Austria, but he failed to realize that the Austrian Bundesliga is simply not strong enough to maintain an internation top class team. His attempt to create a German Bundesliga team in Leipzig has failed as both Sachsen, and Lokomotive Leipzig have refused to sell their naming rights.
It will be a huge victory for the Football Romantics if Austria manages to return to the top flight. Surely Austria will draw more fans in the Bundesliga then Red Bull. It would be fascinating to see what will happen to Red Bull with another show in town.
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