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We at Sportskeeda recently conducted an online survey on the clubs supported by Indian football fans, which was taken up by almost 4000 fans. And the results are rather surprising. It was found that almost 70 percent of those who took the survey support either Manchester United or Barcelona. What was even more surprising was that only about 0.05% followed an Indian football club. The complete analysis is as given below:
True, the first emotion that comes to anyone’s mind on seeing the graph is one of surprise, anger or even disgust. After all, how could an Indian forsake the sport in his own country and support a team that plays thousands of miles away? But on thinking longer and deeper, we do realise that the quality of the sport in our country isn’t the same. Nor is the exposure or promotions. And finally, the infrastructure and facilities available for football in India isn’t even close to those available in England or Spain.
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The alarming conclusion isn’t that an average Indian follows the sport abroad, but that his favourite teams are often decided by the amount of silverware they win. Take for example the two teams that dominate the graph – Manchester United and Barcelona. While Manchester United have had a prolonged period of success over the past two decades and counting, Barcelona has been the most successful team in the last 3 years in Europe. Chelsea, Real Madrid, Arsenal – they all have had their fair share of success in the past decade. Is it really a fair analysis to say that an average Indian football fan is swayed by glory? Also, does TV coverage have a huge say in this, with the most popular clubs coming from the Premier League and La Liga, the two most widely telecasted leagues?
A more detailed analysis of the ‘Other’ clubs is as given below:
While this shows a much diverse selection, most of the clubs mentioned have been widely successful in the UEFA Champions League, another widely telecasted competition, with the exception of Tottenham Hotspurs, who made their entry to the CL last season, and the newcomers – the oil-rich Manchester City.
Only four Indian clubs made it to the list – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Pune FC and Pailan Arrows, and the total percentages were less than 1% of the total number of people who took up the survey.
If anything, it is a clear indicator that for football in India to have a fan base like that of the European clubs, development at grassroots must be given the top priority. With India being a cricket-dominated country, attracting any sponsorship is rather difficult. If something significant isn’t done soon – in terms of money and support, India will lose many more clubs in the times to come, much like Mahindra United. Is it too much for a football fan to dream that one day, our children will follow Mohun Bagan or East Bengal as religiously as Manchester United or Barcelona?
