European football has dominated the African scene for many years, with most Nigerian fans opting for it rather than football on the continent. This is not far-fetched because of its packaging and the money pumped into it.
The top five leagues in Europe- easily the top five leagues in the world, boast of most of the best legs that have graced the game. In fact, since 1986, it has only been six times that the Ballon d’Or winner has not come from clubs in England, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy.
Some of Nigeria’s best legs have also made their name playing in Europe, causing more Nigerians to follow or support the clubs they play for.
This article aims to highlight the European clubs with the biggest fanbase in Nigeria.
5. Barcelona
Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world. Their fanbase grew rapidly in the early 2000s because of their success in Europe. They also had many star players like Thierry Henry, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Barcelona also had the magisterial Lionel Messi- the symbol of their success in modern football. A lot of fans supported the club just because of Messi’s consistent brilliance. Although the club has been struggling in recent years, there is still a large number of Barcelona fans in Nigeria.
4. Liverpool
Liverpool also have a lot of fans in Nigeria. The club has enjoyed a lot of success in Europe, with six Champions League titles to their name. They have also had a lot of top players in the past. The club has been graced by stars like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Kenny Dalglish, Robby Fowler, and a host of others.
3. Arsenal
Arsenal is also one of the biggest clubs in the world. Although they have not enjoyed much success, they grew a massive fanbase when Frenchman Arsenal Wenger was coach.
Another factor that made a lot of Nigerians to start supporting Arsenal in the early 2000s was Kanu Nwankwo. The former Super Eagles striker was a symbol of success for Nigerian football after his heroics at Atlanta 1996. Hence, when he joined the club and started scoring goals, Nigerians drifted towards the Gunners a bit more.
Also, with their recent uptrend with Mikel Arteta as coach, some Nigerian football fans have started drifting towards Arsenal.
2. Chelsea
The Blues have one of the biggest fanbase in Nigeria. In fact, it’s always normal to go into a football viewing center and meet a sea of blue shirts. The growth of its Nigerian fanbase coincided with the entrance of former owner Roman Abrahimovic, who bought the club in 2003. The Russian then went on a spending spree, signing many top players and recruiting Jose Mourinho, who had just won the Champions League with Porto.
Their fanbase continued growing with numerous successes. For example, their title win in the 2004/2005 season, when they became the first club to reach 95 points saw a lot of fans join the club. Also, signing Mikel Obi, who was Nigeria’s starboy in the mid 2000s saw a lot of fans join the club.
1. Manchester United
Despite their struggles in recent years, the Red Devils are still one of the biggest brands in football. Sir Alex Fegurson’s successes with the club saw many Nigerians tilt towards them. They also had Cristiano Ronaldo, who razzled and dazzled in their colors.
The club was the most successful club in England until Fegurson left in 2013, but it has gone downhill since then. Still, most of their fans have remained.