How the Red Bulls will spend their Christmas

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RB Leipzig

·24 December 2025

How the Red Bulls will spend their Christmas

Christmas – the season of goodwill – means a great deal to our captain David Raum as well. After the final game of the year, the 27-year-old signed off to the RBL fans with a short message ahead of the winter break: “Make sure you take time for your families and loved ones. That’s important and it does you good.”

“We’ve got a few days off now too – and believe us, we really need them,” Raumi added with a smile. How he and his teammates will be spending Christmas, you can find out right here.

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David Raum

During EURO 2024 in Germany, his grandmother Rosi became famous overnight thanks to a viral video featuring our left-back. “She hands out loads of autograph cards of me back home and is my biggest fan,” David revealed during an appearance on the German show Sportschau in November 2025.

At Christmas, family and friends are a must for our captain. And who knows – maybe Grandma Rosi even had something to do with his worst Christmas present so far?

How our #22 celebrates Christmas:

What do you wish for?

"That everyone in my family and all my friends stay healthy."

What’s on the menu?

"Raclette."

What's a must at Christmas?

"Good food."

Your best Christmas present?

"Without question, a PlayStation 3 back in the day (laughs).”

And your worst?

"Socks. Socks… and even more socks."

Which Christmas song is always on repeat?

"Feliz Navidad."

Which teammate would you most like to spend Christmas with?

"Nici Seiwald!"

And what would you two get up to?

"We'd drink mulled wine, of course (laughs)."

Conrad Harder

For our Danish striker, there’s nothing better than spending the hours before Christmas in the kitchen with his grandma and mum. He leaves the cooking to them, though – in Conrad’s eyes, no one does it better. His contribution comes in the form of jokes and festive music, setting the perfect soundtrack for the Christmas preparations.

How our #11 celebrates Christmas:

What’s on the menu at Christmas?

"'Flæskesteg' - the Danish version of roast pork. It comes with a dark gravy and caramelised potatoes. It's so good!”

Do you have any special traditions?

"Oh yes. We have a book of Christmas carols and everyone picks a song that we then sing together. And of course we all hold hands and dance around the tree (laughs) – that’s just part of Christmas for us. For dessert, we always have 'risalamande', a kind of cold rice pudding with a hidden almond inside. Whoever finds the almond first gets a small present."

What was your favourite Christmas present?

"When I was about ten, I got a rebounder – a training aid you can kick the ball against and it comes straight back, so you can practice passing and your first touch. It was a really cool gift."

What do you like most about Christmas in Denmark?

"Simply spending time with family and friends. And of course the weather – Christmas and winter, maybe even snow. For me, those things just belong together."

Maarten Vandevoordt

Our goalkeeper will be celebrating Christmas back home in Belgium. Let’s just hope bookworm Xaver Schlager hasn’t left anything under the tree for him, otherwise Maarten could be in for an unwelcome surprise.

How our #26 celebrates Christmas:

What’s on your Christmas wish list?

"I’m just looking forward to spending lots of time with my loved ones. That’s the greatest gift of all."

What’s on the menu?

"Lots of cheese. Cheese fondue, cheese platters – although we do something different every year. This year, it’s all about cheese (laughs)."

What's a must at Christmas?

"Being able to make my family and friends happy with nice presents. That’s what makes me happy."

Your best Christmas present ever?

"When I was a kid, I got new football boots every year. That was always the highlight."

And the worst?

"Books."

Which song gets played on repeat?

"All the classics that have been on the radio for weeks (laughs)."

Which teammate would you most like to spend Christmas with?

"Leo Zingerle."

And what would you do together?

"We’d cook together, it’s something we both really enjoy."

Rômulo

This year marks a first for our Brazilian striker: he’ll be spending Christmas in Germany for the very first time. He won’t have to wait long to see his loved ones, though – his family are set to visit him in Leipzig in January.

How our #40 celebrates Christmas:

What’s on the menu?

"In Brazil, it’s traditional to have turkey with potatoes or mashed potatoes and either a dark gravy or barbecue sauce. For dessert, there’s pavê – it’s a bit like a Brazilian version of tiramisu. Around Christmas we generally love sweet things anyway: biscuits, pudding, chocolate."

What do you wish for?

"Good food."

Your best Christmas present ever?

"When I was about 12, my cousin gave me my first proper pair of football boots – almost ‘professional’ boots. That was something really special for me."

How do you spend Christmas?

"Normally we celebrate in Brazil. My family live in different parts of the country, but at Christmas we all come together. This year, it’ll be my first Christmas in Germany, spending it with my wife. In January, my family will visit me in Leipzig for the first time. Even though we’ll have a lot of important matches, we’ll make the time to catch up on a bit of Christmas then."

Johan Bakayoko

That Johan Bakayoko is a real family man has been clear at Cottaweg ever since his move to the Red Bulls. When he arrived in Leipzig, our winger was accompanied by his parents and plenty of other family members. Christmas is no different – the Bakayoko household is always full, lively and full of fun.

Is there a traditional Christmas dish in Belgium?

"We don’t really have one specific dish. Traditionally, we sit down for a big dinner with lots of different foods – chicken, potatoes, various dips. We like to mix things up."

Are there any special Christmas songs or dances in your family?