By David Gold
June 29 – A Havas Sports and Entertainment survey has revealed that Germans are taking a greater interest in this summer’s European Championship than any other Western European nation.
In total, the study found that around 80 per cent of the German population will watch the tournament, underlining their status as Western Europe’s biggest football enthusiasts.
Germany fans will have been enjoying Euro 2012 until last night, when they were beaten 2-1 in the semi-final by Italy.
The quantitative online survey, conducted by market research company Toluna, between April 23 and May 8 2012, used a sample of 1,000 people per country in Spain, Germany, France, Belgium and Britain.
Respondents were asked about their attitudes and behaviour towards the Euro 2012 and this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in London to gauge who are the biggest sports fans.
According to the research, 76 per cent of the Spanish population will watch the Euro 2012 finals, while just 56 per cent of Britons and 51 per cent of the French will watch the matches.
Spanish fans, with their team’s status as the world’s best, are the most emotional and French fans are characterised as calm by the study, while British fans are found to be hot tempered.
Germany also has the highest average attendances at their top flight matches in Europe.
Interestingly, 22 per cent of Germans are leaving work early to watch European football matches, compared to 17 per cent of Spanish fans.
Although 11 per cent of Spaniards will take the entire day off for the football, compared to just seven per cent of Germans.
Other findings from the survey revealed that, while the World Cup final is European football fans’ favourite event, it is only just more popular than the European Championship final.
Although television and the written press are unsurprisingly the most used forms of media used to keep up to date with Euro 2012, the internet has now matched the radio for the numbers using it (36 per cent), while almost one in five use social media to keep up to date.
Unsurprisingly as hosts, more Britons plan to watch the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics (67 per cent) than the Euros, as will the Spanish and French.
Only 70 per cent of Germans, according to the survey, will watch the Games, compared to 80 per cent who will watch the football.
The Olympics 100 metres final lags behind the Champions League final, indicating that while most may be more interested in London 2012 than Euro 2012, they are more keen to watch specific football matches than particular Olympic events.
In a sign of the financial state of the Eurozone, when quizzed about spending habits related to Euro 2012 and Olympics, 73 per cent of Germans will not change their usual spending habits for Euro 2012 and 79 per cent say the same applies for London 2012.
The British and French are roughly equal with almost two thirds of their respective populations spending the same as usual for both events.
However, for the Spanish, at the heart of the Eurozone worries, more than half will be spending less this summer during both Euro 2012 and the Olympics.
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