The Red Bull CEO, who died in October of last year, was incredibly passionate about the game, and having seen his firm flourish in other sports, he wanted them to succeed even more in football.

So there was a lot of expectation and excitement when Red Bull took over Austria Salzburg, the team from the city where the company is situated. It rapidly turned sour.

When Red Bull approached Austria Salzburg in 2005 with a proposal to assist, it was expected that they would be big supporters, assisting them through their financial difficulties.

Rudi Quehenberger, the club’s chairman at the time, talked highly of the energy drink manufacturer’s engagement, with German icon Franz Beckenbauer – a close friend of Mateschitz – also due to join on.

However, as negotiations advanced, it became evident that Red Bull did not simply want to sponsor them, but also wanted a complete overhaul – from colors to crest to name – which outraged the club’s supporters.

After weeks of protests and rejection, Austria Salzburg changed its name to Red Bull Salzburg on June 13, 2005, and its traditional purple colors were replaced with red and white.

The alteration of colors and crest sparked the most outrage, and after discussions between fan groups and Red Bull, the corporation agreed to use violet exclusively on goalkeeper socks, escalating tensions and alienating a big portion of their fan base.

Austrian clubs are not uncommon in incorporating a sponsor’s name into the official club name.

Even Austria Salzburg was known as Casino Salzburg when they reached the Uefa Cup final in 1994, losing in two legs to Inter Milan.

However, Red Bull’s recommendations were simply too much for the fans, who decided they didn’t want anything to do with it, as board member Stefan Schubert says.