German clubs top European supporters league
AFP
AFP, PARIS: It may have vast wealth and an enviable array of talent but Englands Premier League plays second fiddle to Germanys Bundesliga when it comes to drawing the crowds, figures show.
The Bundesliga attracted an average of 42,685 fans per game in the 2014-2015 season, according to the figures compiled by Deloitte, the multinational consulting firm, placing it well ahead of the Premier League with 36,163 fans per match over the same season.
The Bundesliga topped the European table of fan support with the Premier League next, followed by Spains La Liga a distant third.
In France and Italy fans are staying away in droves, with an alarming drop in support for the game, notably in France, a World Cup winner in 1998 and host of Euro 2016.
Billions in broadcasting revenue has flooded the coffers of English Premier League clubs allowing the likes of Manchester United and others to splash out in total a record 1.165 billion pounds ($1.54 billion/1.39 billion euros) to attract big names ahead of this season.
In overall terms, the Premier League is still number one in Europe with 13.7 million fans attending matches against 13 million for the German league.
But the Premier League has 20 clubs playing 380 matches a season against 306 for the Bundesliga, with its 18 clubs. The disparity translates into significantly higher attendance per match in Germany.
For La Liga still home to world footballs biggest stars in Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Lionel Messi at Barcelona 9.8 million fans attended matches in the same season, at an average gate of 25,734. Last season, and for the first time in its history, Spanish football drew more than 10 million fans in testimony to the health of the game.
The same cannot be said for France and Italy, both suffering declines in support for the sport.
Frances Ligue 1 clubs drew an average of 22,362 fans per game for a total of 8.5 million spectators in 2014-2015 and the trend has been downward ever since.
