Naturally, other clubs have tried to implement similar recruitment models, but Schafer believes Leipzig’s record keeps them ahead of the curve.
“You will not find many clubs who produced or developed more top talents than Leipzig and other Red Bull clubs,” adds the former Germany international.
“So I think still we have a good advantage. But we always need to be careful, of course, we always need to invest in the team around the team, we always need to invest in our infrastructure.”
Ralf Rangnick was the architect of Leipzig’s rise, his thirst for innovative ideas matching Red Bull’s, and Schafer says the club’s impressive facilities provide the platform for the young prospects they recruit to reach their potential.
“For me, the most important part if you want to work and develop young players every single day, you need a very good infrastructure, we have it – the pitches, the training facilities, it is really on a high standard,” he explains.
“The second most important part is you need a good coaching staff, we have a very good head coach with Marco Rose.
“All the people around the team, that means our medical staff, our athletic team, even the cooks who prepare meals, the best way to handle nutrition etc.
“We have experts around the players to help them every single day to become a better player, on and off the pitch.”
Perhaps surprisingly, one area Leipzig have struggled is producing their own young players via the club’s academy.
The aim is to change that and the emergence of Viggo Gebel, a 16-year-old midfielder born in Leipzig who made his debut this season, is seen as a positive.
“He is a good example of how we can handle the future, but we have to be honest with ourselves,” says Schafer.
“We invested a lot, we worked a lot in the academy, but the most important thing is not a championship or winning games – this is just a part of developing a winning mentality.
“This is somewhere we have huge potential and everybody has to focus a little bit more on it. It is definitely our goal to bring some players from our Leipzig academy into our first team, not only bringing young, hungry, high-potential players from outside to Leipzig.”