A sponsorship deal with the potential to cause a stir! FC Bayern star becomes the new face of Red Bull

“I’m starting a new chapter with Red Bull. I’m proud to be part of the family,” Davies wrote on Instagram, posting a photo of himself wearing the energy drink giant’s cap and holding one of its cans.

The move is unlikely to please his Munich supporters, as FC Bayern’s active fanbase is known for its fierce opposition to Red Bull and its influence in football, regularly displaying anti-Red Bull banners and boycotting away games against RB Leipzig.

Fans dislike Red Bull’s football projects because they see the sport as a mere marketing tool for the energy drink. Critics include Bayern supporters and organised fan groups across the Bundesliga.

Only last year, Jürgen Klopp’s move to the Red Bull organisation sparked controversy. Supporters of 1. FSV Mainz 05, where Klopp began his coaching career, unfurled banners criticising the move. One read, “Are you out of your mind?” Another, posted by the ‘Ultraszene Mainz’ group, stated, “You’ve forgotten everything we let you have.”

The ‘Ultragruppe Rheingold’ wrote: “Klopp: ‘I like people until they disappoint me’”. The reference was to a comment Klopp made the previous summer on the podcast ‘Im Kopf des Trainers’, where he said: ‘I like people. ... I approach them with an open mind until they let me down. I don’t go in thinking they’ll probably let me down from the start.’