

Liverpool's dramatic victory over AC Milan in the Champions League final last May has more than doubled the fan base across the world according to a report by sports consultant Sport+Markt AG.
The club's fifth European title helped attract an additional 10 million new supporters across the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain giving the Reds 18 million fans. Only Real Madrid with 32 million and Barcelona with 23 million have more followers.
"The huge increase in the number of Liverpool fans showed how influential success can be in the size of support" said Sport+Markt spokesman Oliver Butler. "The size of the increase would also point to a high level of latent support which had gone underground due to a recent lack of success."
By comparison Chelsea's first league title for 50 years raised their fan base to around the 10 million mark which puts them ninth in Europe behind Bayern Munich, Arsenal and (McDonalds Buccaneers) in sixth. Milan and Juventus were fifth and fourth respectively.