91% UK Fans Eager To Get Back To The Stadium, Says OneFootball

Football fans across Europe feel confident and safe about returning to stadiums ahead of fans being welcomed back by Premier League clubs according to survey results released by OneFootball, the world’s leading football media platform.

More than 50,000 of OneFootball’s highly engaged active users from across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom (UK) participated. The survey found:

• Europe-wide enthusiasm for a return to stadiums, with more than 74% in each surveyed market saying they will feel confident and safe  

• UK fans are the most eager with 91%, followed by Portuguese and Spanish fans, 90%. German fans are the most apprehensive, with 75% saying they will feel confident and safe
• This is echoed across all areas with 65% of UK fans and 84% of Italian fans prepared to do ‘whatever it takes’ to go to their team’s first home game, while only 47% of German fans would do the same
• More than 90% of fans in the UK, Italy, France and Portugal are in favour of UEFA EURO 2020 taking place, compared to only 56% in Germany
• More than 74% of fans in the UK, Spain, France and Portugal are prepared to wear masks in stadiums

The majority of fans in the UK, 61%, and Spain, 59%, are also happy for football players to receive early access to vaccines, while just 32% in Germany and 43% in Italy believe footballers should be prioritised.

Participants, the vast majority of whom were under 30, shared answers via the OneFootball platform from 23-26 April, with the results analysed by OneFootball’s research team based in Berlin. The study is the first in a series being undertaken by OneFootball to explore the evolving football landscape and current trends, and provide a deeper understanding of the new generation of football fans and what matters to them.

Patrick Fischer, Chief Business Officer, OneFootball, said: “Our highly engaged users represent the modern football fan and the results from our study are clear – fans want to get back into stadiums and support their favourite clubs and national teams.

“For more than 12 months, we have seen the impacts of fans being unable to support their clubs in person in large numbers. Re-establishing the strong connections between players, teams and fans on matchdays will reinvigorate the game and, looking ahead to this summer’s EURO 2020, it is sure to be a celebration of football with passionate fans across Europe at the heart of the tournament.”

“OneFootball has a unique position within the football ecosystem and we are committed to providing our partners, and the wider industry, with the latest insights and trends. We look forward to sharing the results from our upcoming research in the months ahead.”