Our History

Milestones

2025

In June 2025, we became the first—and only—Austrian team ever to take the field on the biggest stage in world soccer. Our consistent performances over the past four years in the UEFA Champions League secured our Red Bulls a spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S.! Right off the bat, we secured a 2-1 victory against Mexico’s record champion, Pachuca CF, in Cincinnati, Ohio, following a nearly two-hour delay due to a thunderstorm. Our journey then took us to the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., where we notch another respectable result with a scoreless draw against Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia. To wrap things up, we suffered a 0–3 loss in Philadelphia against the star-studded Real Madrid squad, which unfortunately meant we were eliminated in the group stage. Nevertheless, we could not only head home with our heads held high but also take with us - along with great experiences - self-confidence and courage for the new season.

2024/25

A season marked by challenges, but also by some truly special moments, including qualifying for the revamped UEFA Champions League group stage. Although we once again had to settle for second place without winning a title, important strides were made—especially in the spring—as numerous young talents from the academy reached the next level with us. In addition, our Young Bulls made it to the Final Four in Nyon in the UEFA Youth League—Europe’s premier U19 competition—though we suffered a narrow 1–2 loss to Trabzonspor in the semifinals.

2023/24

One of the most turbulent seasons in a long time, which unfortunately ends with our Red Bulls going without a title for the first time in over ten years. The title race in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga remains open until the final matchday, but in the end, we fall short by two points. In the UEFA Champions League group stage, we finished in fourth place behind the eventual Italian champions Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, and Benfica Lisbon. There’s cause for excitement, however, as our consistent international performances have earned us a spot in the newly reformed FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the U.S. in the summer of 2025. In addition, the 2023–24 season marks the first time in our history that a girls’ team—the U16w—takes the field, and it makes an immediate impression; the following year, it is joined by a U20 squad.

2022/23

After nerve-wracking weeks and months, we clinched our 10th consecutive Bundesliga title with a home victory over SK Sturm Graz! This is a milestone that has never been achieved before in Austria. On the international stage, our young squad once again impressed against top European teams. In the UEFA Champions League group stage, we put in impressive performances against AC Milan, Chelsea FC, and Dinamo Zagreb, and finished the first half of the season in third place for the sixth consecutive time on the international stage. In the UEFA Europa League intermediate round against AS Roma—who would go on to reach the final—we suffered a narrow elimination with an aggregate score of 1–2. Nevertheless, we can be proud of the performance we put on!

2021/22

“Back to the Excitement!” is this season’s motto. With a few exceptions, soccer celebrations are once again possible without restrictions. And a packed Red Bull Arena has also made a difference in our results: We’re finishing the season without a single home loss. It’s a season of superlatives: We’re bringing the Bundesliga championship trophy back to the City of Mozart for the ninth consecutive time—including the UNIQA ÖFB Cup victory and our first-ever advancement to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League! The Young Bulls also thrilled fans in 2021–22, storming all the way to the UEFA Youth League final, where we ultimately fell short against Benfica Lisbon. But we showed all of Europe: The soccer of tomorrow comes from Salzburg!

2020/21

Looking back, many fans will remember this season as the “remote season.” We’ve only been able to welcome a limited number of fans to the stadium in person for a handful of home games. But that hasn’t dampened our winning streak. Once again, the double—the tipico Bundesliga and the UNIQA ÖFB Cup—is heading to the City of Mozart. Jesse Marsch and many key players are stepping down at the end of the season, but the next wave is already on its way. That’s exactly how it should be.

At the destination of our dreams – and yet still hungry for more

2019/20

A season like no other—and probably one that will never be repeated! Spanning eleven months, it remained unclear for a long time whether and how the season would come to an end. After three months of nerve-wracking anticipation, the season finally resumed with the championship round marathon and ten games in just four weeks. And it paid off, as we once again claimed both the Tipico Bundesliga and the UNIQA ÖFB Cup—including tying the 110-goal record. Also unforgettable are the moments from our debut season in the UEFA Champions League: the 6–2 win over Genk and the 3–4 loss to Liverpool put us on the international map.

2018/19

Another incredible season that deserves a place of honor in our history books. For the sixth time, we’ve won the double and, as true serial champions, get to lift the championship trophy once again. This season’s UEFA Europa League has provided plenty of excitement: After six wins in the group stage, SSC Napoli proved to be too tough a nut to crack in the Round of 16, despite a 3-1 home victory. Nevertheless, after 11 failed attempts, we can celebrate qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time next season.

2017/18

Once again, a spectacular season goes down in the history books with a record 62 competitive matches. For the fifth time in a row, we’re bringing the championship trophy back to the City of Mozart, having set yet another points record with 83 points. And Marco Rose’s team also delivered outstanding performances in international competition: After a spectacular group stage against Olympique de Marseille, Konyaspor, and Vitoria Guimaraes, we knocked Real Sociedad, Borussia Dortmund, and Lazio Rome out of the UEFA Europa League in the knockout rounds. Our Red Bulls thus earned a well-deserved spot in the semifinals, where we, however, suffered a narrow defeat against Olympique de Marseille.

The Young Wild Ones

2016/17

Our Red Bulls are making history once again! This season, our Salzburg lads have not only secured the league title and the cup yet again, but have also set a new club record with an incredible 81 points. On the international stage, while the extremely narrow elimination in the UEFA Champions League playoffs is bitter, we can still spring a surprise or two in the UEFA Europa League group stage. In addition, the entire nation is celebrating our club’s U19 team, which has become the first Austrian team ever to win the UEFA Youth League and bring the Lennart Johansson Trophy back to Salzburg!

2015/16

TRIPLE-DOUBLE ALERT! After a difficult start to the season, our Salzburg team has secured its fourth championship title in five years and claimed the double for the third consecutive time. The club is once again making history. On the international stage, our boys will not qualify for the group stage this season due to their elimination in the UEFA Europa League playoffs against Dinamo Minsk.

2014/15

Austrian Double Champions for the Third Time! Our club has once again made history by securing the Double for the second year in a row. The 2015 league title was clinched with a six-point lead over SK Rapid Vienna. Internationally, we emerged as the clear winners of our UEFA Europa League group, although our run came to an abrupt end in the Round of 32 against Spanish favorites Villarreal CF.
After 21 months of construction, the Red Bull Soccer & Ice Hockey Academy in the Liefering district of Salzburg was officially opened in September 2014. Spanning 10 hectares, the facility offers hundreds of promising young talents the perfect training conditions to lay the foundation for what we hope will be successful careers.

A Sensation in Europe

2013/14

The second double in the club's history! On the international stage as well, under the name FC Salzburg, we had a sensational 2013–14 European campaign and made it to the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League. This set a new club record.

2012/13

Runners-up despite setting a club record (77 points) and scoring 91 goals this season. Under sporting director Ralf Rangnick and head coach Roger Schmidt, our team is still impressing with its refreshing, attacking style of play and is increasingly winning over the hearts of the fans.

2011/12

Austrian Champion and Cup Winner: Winning the double marks a historic achievement. Jakob Jantscher and Stefan Maierhofer share the title of top scorer, each with 14 goals. “JJ” also takes home the award for Most Valuable Player of the season.
On the international stage, our FC Salzburg advances to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League (opponents: Slovan Bratislava, Athletic Bilbao, and Paris Saint-Germain) and qualifies for the knockout round thanks to a 2-0 home win against PSG and a 3-2 away win against Slovan Bratislava. Unfortunately, their run ends there in the Round of 32 against Metalist Kharkiv.

2010/11

A turbulent season ends with a second-place finish behind Sturm Graz. Ricardo Moniz and Niko Kovac take over as head coaches in April. Internationally, our boys reach the group stage of the UEFA Europa League (opponents: Manchester City, Juventus Turin, and Lech Poznań), but are unable to qualify for the knockout round this time around. For the first time since the 2008 European Championship, natural grass is laid again at the Red Bull Arena.

2009/10

Austrian Champions with 22 Wins: From Matchday 12 through Matchday 33, our Red Bulls maintained their “unbeaten streak,” going 22 consecutive Bundesliga games without a loss. Eddie Gustafsson was voted “Best Goalkeeper” and Somen Tchoyi “Best Field Player” of the 2009–10 tipp3 Bundesliga. Internationally, our club qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, where we won all six group matches (against Villarreal CF, Lazio Rome, and Levski Sofia). We were subsequently eliminated in the first knockout round by Standard Liège.

Records for the Ages

2008/09

Austrian champion with a total of 23 wins this season: The second and third quarters of the season, in particular, as well as the team’s strong home record, were the cornerstones of the journey to the championship title. Marc Janko, as the leading scorer with 39 goals this season, tied our club’s single-season record and surpassed the previous mark set by Oliver Bierhoff in 1991 (23 goals).

2007/08

As the defending champions, we’re ending the season with a disappointing second-place finish. Only at the Red Bull Arena do our Red Bulls—with a few exceptions—dominate their opponents. Internationally, too, we fall short of our major goals—qualifying for the UEFA Champions League—by just 4 minutes against Donetsk, and subsequently also failing to advance to the UEFA Cup group stage against AEK Athens.

2006/07

Austrian champions with a 19-point lead—under “Maestro” Giovanni Trapattoni. With 75 points, this is the best point total our Salzburg team has ever achieved in Bundesliga history. Never before have they recorded so many wins and goals, and the low number of losses and goals allowed also set new records in each category.

2005/06

The team achieved its season goal of “qualifying for international competition” by finishing as runner-up under coach Kurt Jara. Top players such as Alexander Zickler and Thomas Linke thrilled the fans.

The Dawn of a New Era

2005

Red Bull has become the club's main sponsor, and the team will now compete in the Austrian Bundesliga under the name FC Red Bull Salzburg.

2003

The club moved to the Wals-Siezenheim European Championship Stadium, now known as the Red Bull Arena. Opening game: March 8, 2003, against FC Kärnten (1–1).

1996/97

Austrian Champion

1994/95

Austrian Champion. International: Made his debut in the main draw of the UEFA Champions League (AEK Athens | 0–0, 3–1; Ajax Amsterdam | 0–0, 1–1; AC Milan | 0–3, 0–1).