Red Bull Salzburg was initially launched on a somewhat controversial foundation due to Red Bull's complete ownership and branding, which led to the disappearance of the original club's identity and the formation of a fan-created phoenix club, SV Austria Salzburg.
The club's success and financial muscle, fueled by Red Bull, has been regarded by many as threatening fair competition within the Austrian league and the spirit of traditional fan-owned football clubs.
Thanks to shrewd management, the financial backing of the Red Bull conglomerate, and the ability to develop young players into superstars (including Dominik Szoboszlai, Karim Adeyemi, Naby Keita, Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland, and Dayot Upamecano), the club enforced a stronghold on the Austrian league, winning no less than 13 titles between 2009 and 2023.
However, when Christoph Freund left the club after 17 years to become sports director at Bayern Munich, and Matthias Jaissle, the manager with the second-longest tenure at Salzburg in the 21st century, bid the club farewell to take over Al Ahli, RB Salzburg lost momentum on both the domestic and international scale.
The club was criticised for bringing too many young players into a squad that has the lowest average age (22.6 years) in the Austrian league.
Perhaps for that reason, the Austrians chose to spend around €3 million to acquire the services of the 28-year-old Danish Brondby captain Jacob Rasmussen to stabilise a shaky defence, which conceded more than one goal per game on average last season.
"I'm part of a team with many young players and talents, and I'm one of the more experienced players who's expected to help lead the squad. In terms of playing style, I was able to adapt quite quickly, the transition wasn't too big," says Rasmussen.
Thanks to the strong Danish presence in the squad (Mads Bidstrup and Maurits Kaergaard), the 28-year-old defensive ace feels he has settled well since arriving at the beginning of June.
"I actually felt comfortable in Salzburg from the very first moment. The club has delivered solid performances in Europe over the past few years, so it's well known. I also asked Rasmus Kristensen (former Salzburg player) about it beforehand and heard a lot of good things.
"Plus, with Mads Bidstrup (current captain) and Maurits Kjaergaard, it made it even easier for me to settle in. And since I speak German well, the language wasn’t a problem either."
With Red Bull Salzburg taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer, it didn't last long for Rasmussen to be thrown into action, and the central defender, who last season was labelled one of the hottest prospects in the Danish Superliga, gained one of the biggest experiences of his football career when the Austrians came up against Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid in Philadelphia.
"I think the best experience with my new club was definitely the Club World Cup in the USA, which we played last June. This tournament, featuring 32 of the best teams in the world and held for the very first time, was truly something special. The match against Real Madrid in front of 60,000 fans in Philadelphia was especially outstanding," says Rasmussen.
Austria has developed into a popular destination for talented young Danish footballers looking to write the next chapter in their career, with a lifestyle and mentality that doesn't differentiate much from the Danish, and a league with high-quality football but without the pressure of living up to expectations that you will find in the four big leagues in Europe.
As such, Danish internationals Mika Biereth and Rasmus Hojlund found Austria to be the perfect breeding ground to gain experience before their departures for AS Monaco and Atalanta.
Rasmussen is also confident that he will develop as a football player in a league where the general standard is higher than in the Danish Superliga: "The Austrian league is quite similar to the Danish one, although the teams in my new league might have slightly more overall quality, with fewer weaker sides."
"What really supports my development as a player here in Salzburg is the high number of matches in the domestic league, where, as one of the top clubs, we're constantly challenged and competing for the title, combined with our appearances in the Europa League.
"The pressure is definitely there, but that’s what helps you grow as a player. In general, moving abroad and experiencing new things helps you develop—not just as an athlete, but also as a person."
Jacob Rasmussen has yet to have his debut for the Danish national team, even though he was called up for two fixtures in March last year. But with Denmark a likely participant at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, Rasmussen is well aware that promising performances for Red Bull Salzburg will increase his chances of making the squad, even though he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
"This topic doesn’t play a major role for me at the moment. My full focus is on my performances with FC Red Bull Salzburg. And if those go well, the national team will become a topic in due time. Qualifying for the World Cup would, of course, be fantastic for Denmark."