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Soccer Draws Huge Spanish Female Fan Base

Posted July. 27, 2009 07:26,   

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Around 15,000 soccer fans crowded Olympic Stadium in Sevilla, Spain, to watch the opening match of this year’s Peace Cup Saturday.

Sevilla of Spain’s Primera Liga faced Juventus FC of Italy’s Serie A. In the stands were many female fans, ranging from teenagers to middle-aged women.

“For Spanish women, soccer is life,” said Selvia Angel, 37, who came to the stadium with her husband and two daughters. “It is a year-round festival.”

Soccer has been called the most masculine sport of all, with the sweaty bodies of players serving as the symbol of masculinity.

In Spain, people are said to enjoy soccer from the instant they are born, and most women are no exception. Maria Delgado, 20, said, “My boyfriend loves basketball more than soccer but I bring him to soccer stadiums often.”

Willing to open their purses for expensive season tickets, female fans account for a significantly high percentage of regular fans of professional clubs in Spain.

The presence of female fandom has also affected cheering. One woman said, “Spanish soccer fans are passionate but not violent like English hooligans. Women fans contribute to a peaceful cheering atmosphere.”

So why are Spanish women so excited about soccer? Soccer is their life. More than half of Spanish sports media stories are about the sport.

The entire city of Madrid is gloomy the day after a Real Madrid defeat. The motto of chief rival FC Barcelona is “More than a club.”



niceshin@donga.com