It is the end of July, and it won’t take long before Europe’s major leagues will kick off. In the meantime, some smaller leagues have already done so, and other leagues across the globe are already well under way.
This season, we will again meticulously keep track of the attendances of the world’s major leagues, and after every weekend present you with a few random facts. Highs, lows, averages, trends, fluctuations, sell outs, occupancy rates, and much more. Anything we can think of. Here is our first series:
- The French have made it a tradition to play their annual super cup (Trophée des Champions) in a different country somewhere around the world. Earlier versions in Rabat, Tunis, and Montreal were a great success. The New Yorkers, however, could not be bothered with the match and only 15,166 people showed up at the Red Bull Arena last Saturday.
- The Major League Soccer has already seen a lot of action this season. The league has thus far posted an average of 18,642 visitors per match, pretty much comparable with the French Ligue 1 and the Dutch Eredivisie.
- Just over a month ago we reported on the reopening of Montreal’s Stade Saputo. Whereas the Impact’s attendances at the start of the season at the Olympic Stadium were pretty high (avg. 36,498), they disappointed for the first six matches at Stade Saputo (avg. 14,450). Last Saturday, the Impact finally came close to selling out their renovated stadium when 19,441 people paid to see the Impact play the New York Red Bulls.
- Japan’s J-League has already completed its 19th round of matches, and there is no doubt which is the best supported club. Urawa Reds has thus far managed to attract an average of 33,617 people to its home matches at the Saitama Stadium 2002.
- The excitement of Clarence Seedorf’s arrival at Botafogo seems already to have worn off. Attendances at Engenhão shot up after the announcement and 29,942 people paid to see him play his first match. Two losses later and only 3,401 fans were left.
- Botafogo’s average is still higher than Flamengo’s though. Rio’s most popular club has managed to attract just 10,741 people per match this season. This is 8,000 per match less than what they achieved last season.