“Why are stadiums empty in Portugal?”: prices and schedules named as main factors

The price of club membership fees, match times and distance to Portuguese First Football League stadiums are deterrents to fans in Portugal, a study from the University of Minho has found.

The article “Why are Portugal’s stadiums empty?”, published in Soccer & Society in February, is a “fan x-ray” of conditions in men’s professional football stadiums in Portugal, particularly in the First League, published by Angela Monteiro in her Master’s thesis and Paulo Reis Muran.

Among the main findings that can be read about in the work are the importance of ticket prices, “match times and travel distances to and from stadiums” in a fan’s decision, as well as “Membership fees and benefits that clubs offer starting today.” .

The size of the membership fee, which is “more expensive in relative terms in Portugal than in many other championships,” makes it difficult to join not only professional championships, but also tournaments below this level, specialist Paulo Reis Mourão points out in an interview with Lusa.

“In fact, our quotas are expensive compared to the average income of the Portuguese, just as our tickets are expensive compared to the average income,” warns the researcher.

According to Paulo Reis Murão, this fact, as well as the distance in terms of club income, excluding transfers from Portuguese clubs to the rest of Europe, shows “a large imbalance in professional football at European level”, an imbalance “then reproduced domestically”. “.

“The work itself made it possible to verify this: the “decalage” of quotas and the high cost of tickets compared to the average income in the country. It shows that when we have a full stadium in Portugal, these fans put more effort into the national team’s performances than if they received a German salary and watched a German game,” he analyzes.

Schedules, which are judged in terms of television broadcasting, mean that the strategy is drawn up “without thinking about the fan who has a family who works the next day”, which “adds to the distance when fans travel tens or hundreds of kilometers to see the game “, which requires costs and time.

“We asked respondents what they would like to have at games to complement or make the price cheaper, and they mentioned in-stadium catering, guaranteed, convenient and safe parking, and discounts on brands or products throughout the week. from the paid ticket,” Paula Reis Mouran quotes as a proposal.

The researcher explains that taking an x-ray of the situation allows one to “think about new forms of business that clubs can create to make a product like a professional football match more interesting for fans in the 21st century.”

This question leads to the reasonable expectation, according to the researchers, that affiliation or association between an individual and a sports association “provides him with benefits of various types, such as discounts, vouchers, comfort during the game for himself and his family.” “.

“A fan, in addition to the ticket, the main cost, spends on average another 15–20 euros on other related expenses. The fan is not ready to pay much more. The Portuguese fan already feels depleted in terms of purchasing power when he goes to the football stadium,” says Paulo Reis Mourão.

Looking ahead, there are “some clues” that can be gleaned from the article, starting with the need for the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) to “examine business models that encourage clubs to expand their offer” to the fan.

“A fan in the 21st century has different requirements than in the 20th century. He appreciates the opportunity to understand that the club helps him with some primary expenses, namely food or merchandising, and that the fan does not have to bear this expense at his own expense,” explains the researcher.

The connection between clubs “and the surrounding economy” and chain discounts, as well as better communication of their partnerships, are aspects that need to be worked on, according to the university professor.