The classic Flamengo 0 x 0 Palmeiras registered the biggest attendance of the Brazilian Championship in the era of the new arenas. Since the reopening of Maracanã, in 2013, the club record was Flamengo 1 x 0 CSA, with 69,846 present, in 2019. For Libertadores that year, there were 69,891 in Flamengo 5 x 0 Grêmio. On Wednesday (20), there were 69,997 spectators.
It is very important to pay attention to these numbers. The 2019 Brazilian recorded the largest average audience since 1983 and then came the pandemic. The 2022 championship started with an average of more than 20 thousand.
Some people attribute this momentary success to the longing for the stands. It’s not that.
Two phenomena explain the growth in attendance at Brazilian stadiums: 1) Flamengo; 2) The supporter partner.
Of the ten championships with the highest index, five were won by the red-blacks. The second aspect is that the membership plans, out of loyalty, made people who only decided at lunchtime whether to go to the stadium or stay at home to make a commitment to go.
Especially Corinthians and Palmeiras know that, if they don’t attend 80% of the matches, they won’t have priority in buying tickets for the semifinals of Libertadores and decisive rounds of Brazilian and Copa do Brasil.
For decades, it was suggested to copy season meats from all over Italy. Loyalty works better here, because it compromises with the idea that the team needs a full stadium and teaches that those who go always have priority to buy the ticket.
Flamengo is a paying train, but in the year before Jorge Jesus’ team, there was an average of 18,800 with Palmeiras champion. It was good too. In other words, there is an upward movement, which will increase if more clubs copy the loyalty plan, invented by Corinthians, replicated by Palmeiras.
The Premier League records 4% growth in attendance compared to before the pandemic. The German and Spanish championships suffered for the games that could not have an audience. It was one of the reasons why Eintracht Frankfurt fans invaded the Camp Nou.
Barcelona has 26,000 supporters with frozen plans, which has increased the rate of tickets sold by travel agencies. In the last fifteen years, 20% of the stands at the Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou are occupied by tourists.
The percentage shows how important football is for the Spanish economy and may be more relevant in Brazil. It was for no other reason that the Football Societies (SAF) was born. It is not for anyone to get away with it, there will be no miracle, but if there is work, the contribution of sport to GDP can be greater.
Three years ago, of the 69,000 attending Flamengo 5 x 0 Grêmio, 19,000 lived outside the city of Rio de Janeiro. Whether they came from Porto Alegre, Salvador, Manaus or Volta Redonda, from far or near, they spent money on taxis, Uber, air or bus tickets, hotels, bars, restaurants.
The start of the current Brazilian Championship with good attendance rates demands attention from the CBF and exchanges of experiences between the clubs. It’s become a cliché to say “It’s another sport…” with every comparison between Premier League and South American football. The sport is the same, the people here are different.
Thirty years ago, the first season of the new Premier League had 21,130 fans per game. The British increased their attendance at stadiums by 87% in these three decades. In 2019, the Brazilian had 21,380.
This April 22, it’s time to rediscover football in Brazil.
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