June 4, 2015/MasterCard
London, 4 June 2015 – As Europe prepares for the UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and FC Barcelona in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday 6th June, a new report from MasterCard has delved into the unique and wonderful differences between football fans across the continent with the launch of the Fan Passion Report, a study of the passions of over 5,000 European football fans.
According to the report, fans in Italy (73%) have more superstitions relating to football than other nationalities in Europe, just ahead of Spanish fans. Nearly half (47%) of Italians wear a certain item of lucky clothing during a match, 20% insist on sitting in the same seat every game and 13% eat or drink a specific food item or beverage. Over 40% of Spaniards also admitted to wearing lucky clothes, but the least superstitious fans in Europe are those from Portugal, where only 23% have any superstitions, followed by Sweden (24%) and the Netherlands (29%).
To some nationalities, football is seen as a religion that is lived and breathed on a daily basis. None more so than in Italy where 69% of fans have chosen to miss an important family event to attend a football match. The Spanish are not far behind with 60% choosing football over family, with France coming in at 52%.
Overall, the survey of more than 5,000 people found that a remarkable 43% have missed family engagements to support their team. This is highest in the 25-34 age group. Portugal, however, is quite the opposite with just 19% admitting to ranking football above family.
Other key findings from the survey include:
- More than a third (35%) of fans have taken a sick day in the past year because of a football match. This is highest in Italy where 51.9% have missed work due to a match
- Spanish supporters are the most committed to away games, with 92.8% of fans having travelled overseas to support their team
- Portuguese (63%) and Swedish (51%) fans are the least travelled with the majority preferring to stay at home
- England (23%) just edged Spain (22%) as the destination of choice for fans when watching football overseas. Italy (12%) and Germany (10%) were third and fourth
- Spanish fans spend the most at away games – £457 on average per head. Italians spend £398 per head and French £351. Overall, £250 (15%) is the average amount spent by football fans abroad
- Hungarian fans (69%) often make a longer trip out of away matches and stay for three or more days, while Portuguese (29%) prefer to visit for just one day
The Fan Passion Report from MasterCard, Official Player Mascot Provider for the UEFA Champions League, also asked fans from 11 different countries to vote for who they thought was the best player in the history of the competition. In the MasterCard poll of more than 5,000 fans, Lionel Messi came out on top as the greatest player to feature in the competition with a huge 27% of the vote.
The FC Barcelona forward was followed by former Real Madrid CF star Zinedine Zidane (12%), with Cristiano Ronaldo (11%) coming third. Brazilian striker Ronaldo (7%) was fourth and David Beckham (4%) came fifth.
Surprisingly, the highest number of votes for Messi came from the over 55 age group (33%) rather than the younger generation. The Argentine superstar was top of the MasterCard fan poll in England, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Russia and Hungary. Zidane topped the poll in his home country of France, as did Ronaldo in his home of Portugal.
The survey also discovered that football fans prefer to use a combination of card and cash (40%) when paying for food, drink, travel and other expenses associated with going to a football match rather than favouring one particular method of payment.
Michael Ballack, MasterCard Player Mascot Manager for the UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin, commented: “Football without fans just wouldn’t be the same. They are the heartbeat of the game and their passion for football is unbelievable. When you walk out of the tunnel, the wall of noise they create hits you and gives the players a huge boost. The fans are priceless.”
Ann Cairns, President, International Markets at MasterCard, said: “Football fans love their team and watching the game that means so much to them. They go to all lengths to support their team, spending money to travel abroad, missing family events, wearing lucky clothes and adhering to superstitions. MasterCard helps connect fans to their passions by connecting them to priceless experiences, like the UEFA Champions League Final. The Fan Passion Report highlights that while there are many differences in how we support our teams, a shared love of the beautiful game can really unite us and create priceless moments and memories.”
The Fan Passion Report survey was carried out for MasterCard by Censuswide. There were 5,017 respondents across 11 European countries – England, Germany, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, Portugal and Hungary.
