Every fan base believes it is the loudest, the most loyal and the most involved in its club's success. They will point to statistics like crowd size, decibel level and home record to show that their crowds are superior to all others. But what if, instead of looking at games with crowds, we actually studied matches without fans.
Teams that succeed playing strictly in sell-out stadiums will not be acclimated to playing in front of empty stands and are more likely struggle. By isolating these teams, we can determine which fan bases have the greatest impact on their team's performances.
We might not have fans back at games yet, but now we have a tool to measure which clubs have the best fan bases. Our data shows that these are the six best fan bases in Europe:
Best Fanbase In Soccer
Leicester City, England
Although the Foxes currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, they have averaged just a point per game in six matches since the league resumed. Leicester's boisterous supporters had the King Power Stadium rocking during the club's 2015-16 title-winning season and became a major factor in the title race.
FC Copenhagen, Denmark
Unlike the barren stadiums of England, Denmark has slowly allowed fans to return to matches, albeit with strict social-distancing policies and attendance limits. FC Copenhagen is a 13-time Superliga champion but is struggling without a full Telia Parken. The league's second-place side has just three wins in nine matches, essentially playing itself out of the title race.
Also enjoy Copenhagen fans during their Champions League match against Leicester in 2016
Schalke, Germany
The German giants were exceptionally poor after the restart, securing just two draws and seven defeats their final nine matches of the season. The side sat sixth in the table when play was postponed, yet finished in 12th. Seeing an empty Veltins Arena, which seats an average of 60,000 on match day, just feels wrong.
Valencia, Spain
Los murcelagos (the Bats) made it to the round of 16 in the Champions League, but are currently only 10th in LaLiga due to a poor run of form since the restart. Valencia has won just two of their last nine matches without fans and are unlikely to be playing in a European competition next year.
Lazio, Italy
Based in Rome, Lazio is another side whose poor performance in fan-less matches has cost the club a chance at a league title. Without its ultras, known as Irriducibili Lazio, the club has lost two of its last three home matches and four of seven overall since Serie A restarted. Lazio sat just a point behind first-place Juventus when play was postponed, but has since dropped to eight points behind Juve.
Galatasary, Turkey
Galatasaray fans are often known as the craziest and most passionate supporters in Europe, so it is no wonder that the Super Lig powerhouse is winless in six matches since the league restarted.
