TOP 5 STADIUMS WITH THE HIGHEST ATTENDANCE IN EUROPE

Located in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, the Allianz Arena is home to the historically most successful German club Bayern Munich. The stadium was opened in May 2005 and was assigned as one of the stadiums for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Ever since it has been the venue of many fantastic matches and it must be said that most of these matches have been sold out. This is not just the case of the German national football team, but equally so Bayern. In the 2014/15 season the club reached an incredible average of 72,882 people per match, which represents more than 97% of the stadium’s capacity.

Home to one of the most successful clubs in the world Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabéu compared to the Allianz Arena, can boast of having a wide tradition and being a huge part of football’s history. It was opened in 1947 and is named in honour of the former Real Madrid chairman Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. In the 2014/15 season Real Madrid failed to build on their successes from the season before. However, this did not seem to have too much of an impact on attendances. Averaging 73,081 people per match, the Santiago Bernabéu occupies the fourth position in our list, despite the number being only approximately 85% of the stadium’s capacity (85,454), compared to Bayern Munich’s 97%.

The Old Trafford might be the only British stadium on our list, but it surely is the most historic and oldest one. Home to the most successful British club Manchester United, the stadium was opened more than 100 years ago in 1910. Since then it has hosted many memorable matches, but has also suffered heavy bombing during World War II, forcing the club to use a different ground for some time. After a disappointing 2013/14 season, the club wanted to redeem itself and the fans stood behind their team. In the 2014/15 season, 75,335 per match attended the stadium on average. Considering the fact that the capacity is almost identical, it was an amazing achievement by the club and its fans. No wonder the club legend Bobby Charlton once nicknamed Old Trafford “The Theatre of Dreams”.

Called either Camp Nou (in Catalan) or Nou Camp (in English), the stadium is home to the current European champions FC Barcelona. It is the stadium with the highest capacity on our list, reaching almost 100,000 (99,354 precisely). Not only that, it is also the largest stadium in Europe and the second largest football stadium in the world. Throughout the years it has hosted many events, such as two Champions League finals or the Summer Olympics in 1992. In the memorable 2014/15 treble season, Barcelona’s stadium averaged 77,632 people per match, occupying second position on our list.

This might be a surprise for some, but Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park indeed is on average the most attended football stadium in Europe. Not as successful or popular as Bayern Munich, the second German team on our list, but Borussia are well known for their amazing fanbase. The loyalty of these fans is immense and respected all around the world. The stadium’s capacity is 80,667, making it the largest stadium in Germany and one of the largest stadiums in the world. Despite the club experiencing a difficult season, on average 80,463 fans still found their way to support their club on their home ground.