RB Leipzig — season snapshot (around 2016/17)

RB Leipzig is a German professional club based in Leipzig, Saxony, founded in 2009 and backed by the Red Bull group. In the 2016/17 period the team was coached by Ralph Hasenhüttl (Austria), who had taken charge after the club's promotion to the Bundesliga.

• Coach: Ralph Hasenhüttl
• Competition (notable): 2016/17 was RB Leipzig's first-ever Bundesliga season; they finished an outstanding 2nd place and thereby qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the following season.
• Home stadium: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)

Playing style under Hasenhüttl

• High-intensity pressing / Gegenpressing — quick recovery of the ball after loss of possession.
• Fast transitional play and direct attacking; often deployed a formation that emphasized two quick forwards and advanced midfield support (frequently variants of 4-2-2-2 or compact 4-4-2 shapes).
• Strong organizational discipline and work-rate across the squad; a clear collective pressing system rather than reliance on individual brilliance.

Key players (notable figures around 2016/17)

• Timo Werner — young, rapid striker who emerged as one of the Bundesliga's top forwards.
• Naby Keïta — dynamic central midfielder with drive and box-to-box influence.
• Emil Forsberg — creative attacking midfielder/winger important for chances and assists.
• Yussuf Poulsen — forward offering physical presence and link-up play.
• Péter Gulácsi — first-choice goalkeeper providing stability at the back.
• Willi Orban — central defender and defensive leader.

Significance

• The 2016/17 campaign marked Leipzig's rapid rise in German football: promotion to the Bundesliga followed quickly by a top-two finish, which represented one of the most impressive debut-season performances by a newly promoted side in modern Bundesliga history.
• Ralph Hasenhüttl's work at Leipzig raised his profile for implementing a modern, high-pressing system that combined energetic youth talent with tactical discipline.

This period established RB Leipzig as a major force in German football and launched several of its players and the coach into wider European recognition.