RB Leipzig's sparring partner at the training camp in La Manga, Spain, has been confirmed. The fourth-placed team in the Bundesliga will test against Swiss first division runners-up FC St. Gallen on January 6 (3.00 pm). This was announced by both clubs on Thursday morning.
The match will be played in the small stadium on the training ground in the Leipzig camp, the La Manga Club Top Ground. St. Gallen are also in training camp in neighboring Murcia from this Thursday.
At the end of December, there had already been protests by fans of the two-time Swiss champions against the planned friendly match against RB. The so-called Espenblock, the Ultras of the traditional club founded in 1879, had publicly called on the club management in a statement to "cancel the test match immediately" because RB Leipzig contradicted all the fundamental values of the St. Gallen fans.
However, this did not change the fact that the match will now go ahead. Even the new sporting director Roger Stilz, who was introduced on Wednesday as the successor to former Bundesliga striker Alain Sutter, did not change this.
RB Leipzig travel back to Leipzig on Sunday after the test, which concludes the short training camp. On January 13 (3.30 pm/Sky), Leipzig will kick off the 2024 soccer year against Eintracht Frankfurt.
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