Football is nothing without its fans, and a new study has compiled a list of clubs with the highest average attendance in the twenty-first century.

During the peak of the covid pandemic, fans were forced to watch football without a crowd, supporters were replaced by banners, and background noise was added to TV coverages to provide viewers with a more authentic experience.

And it was during those times that we realized how important a crowd is for a winning team. When games had to be played behind closed doors, there were more away wins than ever before.

Liverpool had lost six consecutive games at Anfield after not losing a single game at home in nearly two years.

Fans have a huge impact on football; when a stadium is packed with fans, the atmosphere is unparalleled, giving the home team an extra boost before and during the game. Most importantly, it can frighten the opposition.

A PopFoot study reveals a list of 40 clubs with the highest average attendance in the twenty-first century.

The Premier League is represented by ten clubs, including Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Arsenal.

Manchester United had the highest average attendance of any English club, with 69,488 recorded at Old Trafford.

Crowd at Old Trafford. Photographer: Alamy

The winner is German club Borussia Dortmund, which has an average attendance of 76,155. They are well-known for their Yellow Wall, which provides a spectacular spectacle before each home match.

With an average attendance of over 76,000 when the full capacity is 81,365, Dortmund's fans are eager to be there to support their team week in and week out.

Here is the full list. 

40. FC Nuremberg – 34,116

39. Napoli – 34,557

38. Aston Villa – 35,429

37. Athletic Bilbao – 36,228

36. Everton – 37,023

35. Hannover – 37,187

34. Sunderland – 37,516

33. West Ham United – 37,871

32. Lyon – 37,933

31. Werder Bremen – 38,526

30. Atletico Madrid – 39,015

29. Valencia – 39,286

28. Tottenham Hotspur – 39,288

27. Eintracht Frankfurt – 40,239

26. Benfica – 40,287

25. Chelsea – 40,871

24. Paris Saint-Germain – 41,238

23. AS Roma – 42,875

22. Feyenoord – 43,222

21. FC Cologne – 43,782

20. Borussia Monchengladbach – 44,250

19. Rangers – 44,933

18. Stuttgart – 45,384

17. Manchester City – 45,408

16. Liverpool – 45,526

15. Hertha Berlin – 46,452

14. Marseille – 47,915

13. Ajax – 48,175

12. Newcastle United – 50,424

11. AC Milan – 50,899

10. Hamburg – 51,341

9. Celtic – 51,802

8. Inter Milan – 51,853

7. Arsenal – 53,372

6. FC Schalke – 60,456

5. Bayern Munich – 66,324

4. Barcelona – 68,864

3. Manchester United – 69,488

2. Real Madrid – 70,016

1.Borussia Dortmund – 76,155

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EMMANUEL APPIAH

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