Tatjana Haenni broke new ground when she was appointed chief executive officer of RB Leipzig in December, becoming the first woman to hold the top‑level management role at a Bundesliga club. Since taking the helm, she has been asked about the recent appointment of Marie‑Louise Eta as head coach of Union Berlin. Haenni’s answer is simple and unequivocal: “She is fully qualified and the club has confidence in her.
That’s all that matters.” Haenni sees Eta’s hiring as part of a broader cultural transformation within German football. “She is the first, but she will not be the last. With me at Leipzig, with Marie‑Louise in Berlin, and with several other women occupying influential positions, the change is already happening. It is a shift in mindset that will accelerate over time.” Being the pioneer inevitably brings a steady stream of questions.
At 59, Haenni meets each inquiry with a calm yet firm demeanor. “The conversation should not revolve around gender; it should focus on competence and results,” she asserts. She points to her own résumé – a career that spans several continents and includes senior roles at UEFA, FIFA, and most recently as chief executive of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States – as evidence that diversity in the boardroom fuels innovation. “When you bring together different perspectives, you create an environment where fresh ideas can thrive,” she explains.
Haenni warns against the dangers of a one‑sided viewpoint. “If you are biased toward a single perspective, you lose sight of what is happening elsewhere in the sport and in the wider world.” Yet she stresses that Leipzig already embodies a progressive culture. “From the first day I arrived, I discovered a club that values openness and diversity.” Her integration into the organization was swift and welcoming. A phone call from Jürgen Klopp, who oversees Red Bull’s global football portfolio, was followed by a series of meetings: town‑hall sessions, breakfasts with staff, discussions with the mayor of Leipzig, and dialogues with local politicians and football association representatives.
These encounters helped Haenni grasp the club’s DNA while signalling that she was being embraced by the existing leadership. Rather than imposing a radical overhaul, Haenni emphasizes respect for the club’s traditions and a willingness to learn. “We need to be very respectful of what has worked and be open to learning, not to rewrite everything overnight.” Nevertheless, she has identified three priority areas for development. The first is commercial growth – she believes the club has not yet fully exploited its revenue potential.
The second focuses on expanding the club’s global footprint, and the third concerns strengthening the fan base at home. On the commercial front, Haenni notes that Leipzig’s ambition extends beyond becoming one of Germany’s top four clubs; the ultimate goal is to be counted among Europe’s elite ten.
To achieve that, the club must think globally. “We have a tour of South Africa planned for later this year,” she says, highlighting the intention to build an international presence that reaches far beyond the city of Leipzig and the state of Saxony.
Domestically, Leipzig’s rise has always been a point of contention for many German football fans who prize historic clubs and deep‑rooted identities. Yet the eastern city needs a flagship team, and RB Leipzig offers that possibility. “There is huge potential to energise the community, to create a vibrant atmosphere in the stadium, and to inspire a new generation of supporters,” Haenni explains.
In line with that vision, season‑ticket prices have been frozen, and the club is actively working to broaden its fan base. Haenni also addresses the women’s side of the organization. She acknowledges the criticism that women’s football can be costly, but argues that prudent management can make it financially viable. “If you do it right, it isn’t necessarily more expensive than a poorly run men’s program,” she says, while also stressing that the women’s team remains a priority for future investment.
The previous season’s failure to qualify for European competition was a harsh setback for a club that had become accustomed to regular Champions League appearances. That disappointment is one of the reasons Haenni was recruited – to steer Leipzig back onto a trajectory of sustained success. “We need to work on our DNA,” she says. “I firmly believe in staying true to our philosophy: developing young, talented players, giving them a platform, and then, when the time is right, moving them on for a fee that sustains the club.” The club’s business model has long revolved around scouting and nurturing promising talent, then selling those players to wealthier European giants.
Haenni acknowledges that this approach is increasingly competitive. “The global market has changed. Many clubs are now hunting for the same young prospects, so we must become even better at identifying and developing them.” One standout example is Yan Diomande, a teenage winger who arrived from Leganés last summer and quickly became one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting prospects.
Premier League clubs have already shown interest, and Haenni describes him as “one of the most astonishing talents we have seen in recent years.” While Leipzig’s model encourages selling such assets at the optimal moment, Haenni stresses that the club will only do so when it aligns with the player’s development and the club’s strategic needs. “A young player who joins RB Leipzig knows that the next step could be a move to a world‑class club, and that pathway is part of our promise.” However, the model’s success is closely tied to Champions League participation, which provides both exposure and financial rewards. Diomande has yet to experience European nights this season, and Haenni admits that missing out on the competition would have serious ramifications.
“If we fail to qualify, the financial impact is massive. It would force us to be more aggressive in the transfer market during the summer.” At present, Leipzig sit third in the league and appear poised to return to the upper echelons of German football. Haenni hopes that a Champions League comeback will “inject additional fire into the region” and catalyse the next phase of growth for the club. “We have the capacity to expand, and everyone knows that we can grow further.” When asked whether winning the Bundesliga is a realistic objective each season, Haenni offers a measured response.
“There are different realities, investment models, and financial capacities across clubs. I won’t rule it out completely, but it depends on having the right structure, strategy, players, coach, staff, and overall club setup.” She adds that under the right conditions, “there is always an opportunity to compete for the title.” In summary, Tatjana Haenni’s tenure at RB Leipzig is defined by a commitment to diversity, a strategic focus on commercial expansion, and a deep belief in the club’s youth‑development philosophy. By blending respect for Leipzig’s existing culture with a forward‑looking global vision, she aims to reignite the passion of the local fan base while positioning the club as a formidable contender on the European stage. The journey ahead will require balancing the sale of star talents with the pursuit of continental football, but Haenni’s confidence and experience suggest that the club is well‑placed to meet those challenges and perhaps, one day, lift the Bundesliga trophy.