Tatjana Haenni interview: RB Leipzig boss is first woman CEO in Bundesliga and out to ignite club and to win titles

Tatjana Haenni, the first woman to be the CEO of a Bundesliga team when appointed by RB Leipzig in December, is being asked about Union Berlin’s new head coach Marie-Louise Eta. “She is qualified and the club trusts her. That is all that matters,” she says.

"She is the first one but she will not be the last. With me being here, with Marie-Louise being in Berlin, and some other women who have great roles, it is just happening. It is a cultural shift. And then it will just happen over time more and more."

When you are the first, you become used to the questions. Haenni, 59, handles them with patience but firmness. "It shouldn't be about gender. It should be about quality." She points to her leadership experience, a track record working across different continents.

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Most persuasively, this former Switzerland international who has held roles at UEFA, FIFA and most recently been chief of the NWSL, makes the case for diversity in the board room. "It is about being innovative. To do that, you need all different opinions."

Haenni explains: "If you are biased on one side and you keep being just one-sided, you lose track of what is happening elsewhere in the game and in the world." But she insists that this is not an issue at Leipzig. "I found, actually, a very diverse and open club."

She has been accepted. There was an early phone call from Jurgen Klopp, the head of global soccer across Red Bull. And meetings. Lots of meetings. "Town halls, breakfasts with employees, the mayor of Leipzig, politicians and association representatives."

Haenni talks of the need to be "very respectful" and "learn a lot" rather than overhauling everything at Leipzig. But that does not mean there are no plans. She has identified three key areas to improve. "I don't think we've maximised our commercial potential."

The ambition is not just to establish the club as one of the biggest four teams in Germany but among the top 10 in Europe. They are thinking more globally now, with Haenni at the helm. "The tour of South Africa is coming up this year," she points out.

"We want an international presence." That means thinking far beyond Leipzig, beyond the region of Saxony. "It is maybe time to expand our footprint and grow and get more recognition nationally and internationally." But there is work to do at home too.

Leipzig have long been a divisive presence in the Bundesliga, the manner of their rise to the top sitting uncomfortably, to say the very least, with a football public that places greater emphasis on history and authenticity than arguably any other country in Europe.

But this city in the east needs a giant and RB Leipzig offer that possibility. "There is a lot of potential to motivate people, to set it on fire, to have a great atmosphere inside the stadium." Season ticket prices have been frozen. "We want to grow the fan base."

Haenni does mention the women's team and a desire for them to improve too. "The criticism is always that women's football is expensive. I keep saying, if you do it right, it's maybe not as expensive as if you do it wrong." But she is frank about the priorities.

Missing out on European qualification last season, for the first time since being established as a top-division club, was a hammer blow to the club's sense of progress. It is part of the reason why Haenni is here to help Leipzig get back on the right path.

"We want to work on our DNA. I'm a big believer that you have to go your own way. We have our philosophy. We have been a trendsetter with young, talented players. We have been doing great. We just have to come back to being on track and doing our own thing."

That means developing these young and talented players who are eager to progress - and then selling them on for a profit to the richest clubs in Europe. "That has been our way. And it has been an amazing way and a way which paid off for us."

While Haenni insists Leipzig can continue to lead the rest in this regard, it is getting harder. "The global landscape has changed. We are not the only ones looking for young players. Many other clubs are doing the same now. So we have to get even better at it."

The standout asset right now, of course, is Yan Diomande. A revelation since his arrival from Leganes last summer, the teenage winger is a target for a number of top Premier League clubs. Haenni calls him one of the most amazing players in the Bundesliga.

At Leipzig, selling the most valuable assets is part of the model. "We will keep doing that at the right time," she confirms. "As a young player, if you come to RB Leipzig, you know that these might be the next steps in your career to becoming a world-class player."

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But this is a model that is dependent on the Champions League. Diomande has not had European football to aid his development this season but he - and others like him - will demand it. And then there are the financial consequences of missing out as well.

"What does it mean if we do not qualify? It is massive," she adds. "Of course this has an impact. Not qualifying for the Champions League would probably mean that we have to be tough on selling and transferring players during the summer."

But as it stands, RB Leipzig are third and on course to return to the big time. Haenni hopes that bringing Champions League back will "put some more fire in the region" and kick-start the next phase for the club. "We can grow. We all know that we can grow."

Enough to win the Bundesliga? Haenni stops short of saying that is a realistic target each season for Leipzig. "There are different realities. There are different investment models. There are different financial capabilities." But nor will she rule it out entirely.

"I do think that with the right structure, strategy, players, coach, staff, club setup, there is always an opportunity. So I don't think that this [model] excludes having a chance to win a championship." Do that and Tatjana Haenni really will ignite this football club.

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