Stadium visits rated even higher: Go Ahead tops the list with 8.4
Millions of Dutch football fans visit stadiums each season — and they’re very satisfied with the experience. According to research by KNVB Expertise, Go Ahead Eagles received the highest rating in the Eredivisie with an 8.4, followed by FC Volendam in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie (First Division) and Excelsior in the Azerion Women’s Eredivisie, both scoring 8.3.
On average, clubs received a rating of 7.8 this season (up from 7.7 last season). The biggest improvement was in the atmosphere around matches, which rose from 7.8 to 8.1. Fans gave a strong 8.3 for how connected they feel to their club, with pride in the club even scoring an 8.5. Hospitality received a 7.7, up from 7.5 last season.
The feeling of safety in stadiums was rated 8.0, a slight increase from 7.9. A solid 84% of respondents said they (almost) never felt concerned about their safety while at the stadium. 56% of fans reported attending matches with friends, while 32% go with (grand)children.
Fan Award
These results come from a survey conducted by Markteffect on behalf of KNVB Expertise, involving 28,152 stadium visitors. A total of 33 professional clubs participated, with the exception of Helmond Sport, which was in the process of moving to a new stadium during the survey period. Go Ahead Eagles, FC Volendam, and Excelsior were honored with Fan Awards at the 2025 Professional Football Knowledge Congress in recognition of their top scores.
Earlier research by Blauw Research revealed that 37% of Dutch adults have attended a live football match in the past three years. Another 11% haven’t yet, but plan to within the next year. Nearly 10 million Dutch people follow developments in professional football, spending an average of 28% of their weekly free time on the sport.
De hoogste rapportcijfers worden gegeven aan Go Ahead Eagles in de Eredivisie (8,4) en FC Volendam in de Keuken Kampioen Divisie (8,3).
Read more
