Promotion heroes return: "It all felt unreal" | OneFootball

Cast your minds back. It's the 8th of May, 2016 - a date that will forever have a special place in the history of our club. "What we had been building over many years had paid off in a kind of climax," recalls Marcel Halstenberg. "There would be many milestones still to follow, though."

'Halste' made a massive contribution to the moment that the Red Bull Arena "literally erupted." "The scene is still fresh in my mind. We win a free-kick on the right-hand side, I send it in with a lot of spin, the keeper can't catch it cleanly - and suddenly the ball is in the back of the net."

An emotional reunion after ten years

The game is, of course, our 2-0 home win over Karlsruher SC. The goal came shortly before the final whistle, and elicited rapturous celebrations on the pitch and in the stands. "In that moment, we just knew that we'd done it. We were going up to the top flight. It was a very special day for us all and for the club as a whole - the players, the backroom staff and the fans."

It's been ten years since that joyous day. On Saturday, when we face FC St. Pauli at home, we'll all be able to enjoy a proper reunion with our promotion heroes. Many of those who played that day will join us in Leipzig. As well as Halstenberg, we'll see Dominik Kaiser, Fabio Coltorti and Stefan Ilsanker back at the Red Bull Arena.

The current roster of Red Bulls will be hoping to wrap up their pursuit of Champions League football next season, and the team can secure their seat at Europe's top table with three points against the Kiezkicker. Peter Gulacsi, Willi Orban and Lukas Klostermann are three more promotion heroes from 2016, all of whom are still a part of RBL's squad exactly ten years later.

Emil Forsberg, who scored the opener in the decisive 2-0 victory in May 2016, is currently in the middle of his season with the New York Red Bulls, and so is unfortunately unable to join us on Saturday. Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund), Yussuf Poulsen (Hamburger SV) and Rani Khedira (Union Berlin) are also all busy with their current clubs this weekend.

For 'Halste', who made 240 competitive appearances for RB Leipzig before his departure in 2023 and experienced two DFB-Pokal victories first-hand, the return will be an emotional one: “I spent eight years at the club and in the city – it was a hugely formative time for me. I owe my successful career to RB Leipzig. The connection has never been lost.”

The former left-back is particularly looking forward to seeing his old coach again: “It’ll also be great to see Ralf Rangnick in person again after such a long time. He brought me to Leipzig back then and played a major role in our successful time together.”

The current Austria national team head coach will be involved in the pre-match programme, alongside his former players and assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer – and, with the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada approaching, he will also no doubt be keeping a particularly close eye on RBL's Austria internationals Christoph Baumgartner, Xaver Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald.

"A unique story"

What was celebrated in 2016 as the pinnacle of a rapid rise proved to be only the beginning of an extraordinary success story. Bundesliga football, UEFA Champions League campaigns and domestic cup triumphs followed as RB Leipzig established themselves among Germany’s elite.

“We wrote a unique story as a club,” Marcel Halstenberg reflectS. “RB Leipzig was the perfect place for me to develop both as a footballer and as a person.”

The promotion celebrations are still etched into memory. “We drove straight from the stadium on the team bus through the city centre. Fans lined the streets, cheering us on – it all felt unreal,” recallS Marcel Halstenberg. “The party went on for quite a while. We must have made it to bed around five – it was already getting light outside again.”

Ten years on, that promotion is seen as more than just a sporting milestone. It marked the moment when a bold vision became the reality of top-flight football for RB Leipzig.

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