India's keeper Subrata Pal set for German trial at RB Leipzig

25 year old Indian international goalkeeper Subrata Pal is set for a trial with German fourth Division (Regionalliga Nordost) club RB Leipzig, who are owned by Austrian energy drink-maker Red Bull. The Indian division of the brand has made the trial possible.  After being side-lined for a season due to injury at Pune FC, Subrata has moved back to Kolkata this summer to join high spending Prayag United SC for a salary estimated to be above Rs 1 crore (10 Million), but Subrata has always expressed his ambition to try and play abroad. Now he gets a second chance after a trial with MLS club Vancouver Whitecaps in June 2010.

Once Subrata is granted a German visa, he will depart from India on Friday/Saturday. An original three week trial had to be cut down due to commitments back at home. Subrata has got the clearance from Prayag United for the trial while the AIFF will have to clear his late arrival at the India camp for the Nehru Cup due to a longer stay in Germany until August 4/5.

More information will be released by Red Bull India and Subrata Pal at a press conference on Thursday in Kolkata.

RB Leipzig, with the RB not standing for Red Bull, but RasenBallsport Leipzig due to German football rules which do not allow the name of sponsors to be attached to the club name was only formed in 2009 after the takeover of SSV Markranstädt, a local club in Leipzig who were once  playing in the fifth division. Red Bull took over the club with the aim of getting into the top tier Bundesliga in a nine year period until 2018 with an initial investment of 100 Million Euros.

After two failed attempts to gain promotion from the fourth division this season RB Leipzig hope to achieve promotion to the 3.Liga on their way to the Bundesliga. And this will happen under new coach Andreas Zorniger. On his arrival, Zorniger fired goalkeeper Pascal Borel.

This is an article I had written two years back in June 2010 on my blog: Knowing Subrata Pal.