CHELSEA HAVE doubled their support in the UK in six months to nearly three million fans, according to a report published this week. The European Football Monitor, published by SPORT+MARKT, the Germany-based communications research company, found a significant growth in the popularity of the club since the arrival of José Mourinho, the Portuguese manager, from FC Porto.
The surge coincides with a new buzz around the West London club caused by the takeover by Roman Abramovich in 2003. Chelsea are favourites to win the Barclays Premiership title this season and are still in the European Cup and Carling Cup.
However, Chelsea’s support still lags behind that of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, according to the survey of 15 to 69-year-olds with an interest in televised football. Chelsea are the ninth most-popular club in Europe.
Real Madrid lead the table, with 40 million followers. United are second, with 19 million supporters, closely followed by Barcelona and Arsenal.
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MANCHESTER UNITED fans continue to make their antipathy towards Malcolm Glazer’s proposed takeover known to the American billionaire’s advisers. Besides receiving mountains of faxes and e-mails, senior bankers at NM Rothschild have been getting unsolicited Ann Summers catalogues at their homes.
The Manchester office of Rothschild, founded in the city in the 18th century, was also stormed by a few hundred supporters several days ago. Seventeen fans, piling into a lift with a capacity of ten people, had to be rescued by the fire brigade.
There should be no need for firefighters at United supporters’ next protest, despite an abundance of flames. The Not For Sale Coalition is holding a torchlit march to Old Trafford before the European Cup match against AC Milan on Wednesday.
The protest will not stop the Glazer family’s formal offer of 300p a share for the club as early as next week.
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THE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS at Borussia Dortmund, the six-times German champions, took their toll at the weekend when the team were trounced 5-0 by Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Roy Makaay, the Holland forward, scored a hat-trick.
Dortmund, the only publicly listed club in Germany, revealed on Thursday that their financial position is “life-threatening” after reporting a loss of €27.2 million (about £18.8 million) for the first half of the year.
The management further disclosed that debts were estimated to reach €134.7 million by the middle of next year.
Dortmund were able to reach a “standstill” agreement with creditors on Friday, which involves a debt moratorium until the 2006-07 season and short-term loans to cover players’ wages.
However, there are concerns that the club will struggle to raise money needed to buy back and upgrade their stadium over the next 18 months.
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The Westfalen stadium, which, with a capacity of 80,000, is Germany’s biggest, is one of the 12 venues for the 2006 World Cup. It is scheduled to play host to six matches.
Handelsblatt, the business newspaper, reported that Dortmund need €10 million to survive the season. The German football league could revoke the club’s licence if they cannot prove that they are solvent.
WHILE DAVID O’LEARY talks of further developing the Aston Villa youth system because of a lack of transfer funds, his employers made their first appearance in Deloitte’s football money league for five years. Villa are the twentieth-richest club in the world, according to the report published last week, based on 2003-04 accounts, with turnover of £56 million.
The club’s position among the elite has been driven by their highest average attendance (36,600) for five seasons.
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ashling.oconnor@thetimes.co.uk