Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Dominik Kaiser from RB Leipzig. With him, we take a look at the team and the tournament. Especially the unique composition of the squad makes it a special experience for both players and staff.
Can you tell us what your role is within RB Leipzig and what it means?
I work at RB Leipzig as Head of Career Center. That means I serve as a link between the academy and the first team, and I am responsible for all transition players. In the end, it comes down to pathway guidance and managing loan periods.
The first two days of the tournament are behind us. From your perspective, how do you look back on these days? You’ve played against some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Overall, it’s a fantastic tournament – really well organized. Of course, our results were not what we had hoped for, but perhaps what we expected, because we knew the level would be very high. We also faced some challenges in putting the squad together: it’s a mix of all the Red Bull clubs and RB Leipzig. Our U19s had an important match at the weekend, so it wasn’t easy to bring everyone along to the Otten Innovation Cup. That was a bit tricky, but in the end we are very happy to be here and take part.
In Germany, all competitions have already started – the first league games and cup rounds, both in youth and professional football. It’s not easy to combine this with our domestic schedule. But it’s a pleasure to represent Red Bull as one team, and I’m convinced we will continue to succeed in doing so in the years to come.
When is the Otten Innovation Cup successful for you?
It’s already successful. Even though we suffered a tough defeat against PSV yesterday, the experience for our very young players is priceless. Playing in a beautiful stadium – maybe not the biggest in Europe, but still with the feeling of professional football – is a great experience. The level of competition here is also very high. For some of our players, probably too high at this moment, especially from a physical perspective. But ultimately, it’s a small yet important step in their development toward professional football.
So you could say you’ll go home with a good feeling?
Absolutely, 100%. We know we have a long journey tonight – about eight hours by bus – so the players are tired. We also have to split up: the internationals from Omiya, New York and Bragantino stay one more night and fly home tomorrow, while we return to Leipzig this evening. That’s mentally tough, but overall we are very happy to have been here. It has been a great experience for both players and staff.
This is also part of development: working with different cultures and languages. Football is a common language, but still, the players from Japan don’t speak English, for example, and the Bragantino staff need a translator. It’s a challenge, but also a valuable learning experience. We combined the teams by meeting for the first time on Monday in Leipzig, where we had three joint training sessions. After that, we traveled together as one group to Eindhoven. Despite the jet lag and all the traveling, this is part of building resilience – which is very important in professional football. And this tournament clearly demonstrates that.
Do you have examples of players who, thanks to this pathway, are now in the first team or close to it?
Over the years, yes. For example, Red Bull Bragantino has previously participated in the Otten Innovation Cup, and I know that several players went on to make the step into the first team. That’s also our goal in Leipzig: to bring as many players as possible from the academy into professional football. Of course, our first team usually plays at Champions League level, so it’s not easy for an 18-year-old to break through immediately. But we need to prepare them to compete at that level. Tournaments like this help us measure ourselves against Europe’s top level – and we see that it’s not so easy.
Can you give an example of a player you’ve worked with who is now in the first team or another European club, or close to it?
I haven’t been in this role for very long, but we already have several players in Leipzig who are close to the first team and have made their debut. For example, Viggo Gebel, who played in the Champions League last season, and Faik Saka, who made his debut in the Bundesliga. They are still young, but in the 2025/26 season they are already close to the squad. From there, it’s up to them to show that they can make the step.
Is there anything you’d like to add about the tournament or yourself?
I would like to thank all the PSV staff and everyone involved in the tournament. They made it very easy for us to feel comfortable, with excellent support both before and during the event. Everything was perfectly organized, so thank you for that. And of course, the level of the players here is very high – which is fantastic for youth football.