For its “European Footbal Benchmark”, Statista and marketer Sportfive asked more than 2,600 football fans about the most popular and least popular Bundesliga clubs. The result: With a positive rating of 53 percentage points, Borussia Dortmund is the most likeable club in Germany according to the survey, FC Bayern Munich follows in second place with 50 percent. Third is Borussia Mönchengladbach (37 percent), Eintracht Frankfurt occupies fourth place (35 percent).
However, Bayern polarize the fans the most: The record champions are at the same time the most loved (29 percent) and the most hated (13 percent) club in the Bundesliga. Overall, 32 percent of those surveyed gave Bayern a negative rating, followed by Bundesliga relegated teams and traditional club Schalke 04 with 29 percent. Only behind is RB Leipzig in third place with 26 percent, while Hamburger SV is fourth (25 percent).
methodology
The European Football Benchmark is the result of a collaboration between Statista and Sportfive. The survey was held online in the respective national languages. The regions China, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and the USA were surveyed. A total of 18,701 people between the ages of 16 and 64 were interviewed.
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But what actually makes the clubs popular with the fans? Statista and Sportfive also asked for this in their study. The most important thing for most fans is that football entertainment does not come at the expense of integrity and professionalism. When asked about the three most important image attributes of a club, most fans answer that a club must first and foremost offer exciting, exciting football. But they also want the association to be trustworthy and well managed.
The most popular German football clubs in 2021
| place | society | I love | I like | Total |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 20 | 33 | 53 |
| 2 | FC Bayern Munich | 29 | 21 | 50 |
| 3 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 6 | 31 | 37 |
| 4 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | 27 | 35 |
| 5 | FC St. Pauli | 6 | 27 | 33 |
| 6 | Sc freiburg | 6 | 26 | 32 |
| 7 | FC Cologne | 8 | 22 | 30 |
| 8 | RB Leipzig | 7 | 22 | 29 |
| 9 | Union Berlin | 5 | 24 | 29 |
| 10 | SV Werder Bremen | 6 | 21 | 27 |
| 11 | FC Schalke 04 | 7 | 18 | 25 |
| 12 | Holstein Kiel | 4 | 21 | 25 |
| 13 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 4 | 20 | 24 |
| 14 | Hamburger SV | 6 | 18 | 24 |
| 15 | FC Augsburg | 4 | 19 | 23 |
| 16 | VfB Stuttgart | 6 | 16 | 22 |
| 17 | Arminia Bielefeld | 4 | 15 | 19 |
| 18 | FSV Mainz 05 | 3 | 16 | 19 |
| 19 | VfL Bochum | 3 | 16 | 19 |
| 20 | Hertha BSC | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| 21 | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 3 | 15 | 18 |
| 22 | VfL Wolfsburg | 3 | 13 | 16 |
| 23 | Greuther Fuerth | 3 | 12 | 15 |
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Source: Statista / Sportfive
When it comes to the sponsorship landscape in the Bundesliga, according to the “European Football Benchmark”, German fans still prefer car and beverage brands. The respondents are concerned about the increasing number of betting providers. 23 percent of the Germans surveyed state that there are already too many betting providers among the sponsors.
The most unpopular German football clubs in 2021
| place | society | I hate | I do not like it | Total |
| 1 | FC Bayern Munich | 13 | 19 | 32 |
| 2 | FC Schalke 04 | 7 | 22 | 29 |
| 3 | RB Leipzig | 9 | 17 | 26 |
| 4 | Hamburger SV | 4 | 21 | 25 |
| 5 | Hertha BSC | 4 | 20 | 24 |
| 6 | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 4 | 17 | 21 |
| 7 | VfL Wolfsburg | 4 | 17 | 21 |
| 8 | Borussia Dortmund | 5 | 13 | 18 |
| 9 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 2 | 16 | 18 |
| 10 | Greuther Fuerth | 3 | 15 | 18 |
| 11 | FC St. Pauli | 4 | 13 | 17 |
| 12 | FC Cologne | 3 | 13 | 16 |
| 13 | SV Werder Bremen | 3 | 13 | 16 |
| 14 | FC Augsburg | 2 | 14 | 16 |
| 15 | FSV Mainz 05 | 3 | 13 | 16 |
| 16 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 2 | 12 | 14 |
| 17 | Union Berlin | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| 18 | VfB Stuttgart | 2 | 12 | 14 |
| 19 | VfL Bochum | 2 | 12 | 14 |
| 20 | Holstein Kiel | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| 21 | Arminia Bielefeld | 1 | 11 | 12 |
| 22 | Borussia Monchengladbach | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| 23 | Sc freiburg | 2 | 9 | 11 |
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Source: Statista / Sportfive
Soccer fans, on the other hand, are open to e-sports. In Germany, almost half (46 percent) of those surveyed are now interested in professional gaming. In China (88 percent) and the USA (78 percent) the interest is even higher. In addition, for almost a third of all fans surveyed, a modern football club now also has an esports team. There is no question about it: The sponsoring environment of e-sports will continue to grow in the future. tt –
