RB Leipzig owner Dietrich Mateschitz says that immediate promotion to the Bundesliga would be too much to ask, but he does expect the club to reach the top flight of German football in the near future.

Leipzig gained promotion from the third to the second division last season and they will begin their quest to follow the example set by Hoffenheim in 2008 when the season kicks off on Friday.

Secretly, the club will be aiming for back-to-back promotions, although Mateschitz is not going to put them under any unnecessary pressure.

“Talking about an obligation to go up in football, and demanding that, would not make any sense,” he said.

“Of course, you’ve got to have ambitions, and it certainly would not be a disadvantage to get promoted as soon as possible, but on the other hand, things need to be given time and you need consolidation phases.

“The years pass quickly, but we will be there sooner or later.”

Leipzig’s path is similar to that of Hoffenheim, who are backed by billionaire Dietmar Hopp.

As such, their rise has not been welcomed by everybody, and the German Football League (DFL) had reservations about admitting them to the second division due to strict licensing rules.

A compromise was reached, which included an amendment of the club badge to make the link to the Red Bull logo less visible.

Mateschitz feels envy of his club is only limited.

“It was never really an issue across Germany,” he said.

“It was only within a few clubs or in a part of the media. Even there, though, it was restricted only to a minority of people whose basic belief is that they are in favour of being against things anyway.”

Leipzig’s first game in the second tier of German football comes on Saturday against Aalen, and a crowd of nearly 45,000 is expected in the former Zentralstadion.