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The only confirmed connection between Red Bull Global Soccer and Rangers FC is a January friendly between RB Leipzig and the (fallen-but-back-on-its-feet-again) Glasgow club.
But that news (confirmed in early November) and the news that Red Bull was in the market for an English club...what's that? Indeed, Rangers is definitely not an English club. But Scotland is not far from England, and the distinction between English and British might be a little too much for the rumor mill to process.
Somehow, it would seem those pieces of information have combined to fuel the rumor that Red Bull might be ready to invest in Rangers.
I see Red Bull Leipzig playing Rangers 2012 in Jan in a friendly/benefit to help keep the lights on..."Red Bull Rangers" - heard it here 1st
— Rick Grimes (@SevcoWalkers) November 6, 2016
@Gregco5088 Aye Red Bull are buying shares in Rangers.
— RS (@thedjryansmith) November 24, 2016
Of course, Red Bull does not typically "invest" in football clubs: it buys them and re-brands them and absorbs them into its global soccer project. A project that is not unsuccessful, so any time a team is rumored to be attracting Red Bull attention, it tends to elicit mixed feelings from the relevant fan base. Rangers fans are no different:
See a lot of talk about Red Bull & Rangers
— Auld Moaning Git ®️ (@AuldMoaningGit) November 24, 2016
Me for one would not bother if this happened as would generate much needed funds for the club
Rangers do not sell out. We are Rangers not Red Bull. pic.twitter.com/UHTpfnMIxP
— Jay Fletcher (@UlsterBluenose) November 24, 2016
Okay, who has made up this Red Bull Rangers rumour? half my TL is like "sound lets do it" other half is having a mental breakdown.
— Kirsten (@Kirsten93_) November 24, 2016
This particular rumor, however, appears to have very little behind it beyond the circumstantial evidence of a friendly between Rangers and a Red Bull club, the (denied) suggestion that Papa Red Bull wants to add to his football family, and a lot of Tweets.
Rangers will have its Annual General Meeting on November 25. The club is generally assumed to have more substantive questions to answer about its future, but perhaps the Red Bull matter will be raised - and we can at least have an on-the-record denial from a high-ranking source to consider.