Fans can still save Ajax and United

There is still hope for Ajax and Manchester United. Both clubs started the new football season poorly and found themselves on the dreaded right side. But something can be done about it. By supporters.

Argentine researchers have shown that soccer teams perform better if they are guaranteed moral support. When the fans in the stands are enthusiastically cheering the team on, the chance of achieving a good result is much greater. In the absence of fans in the stands, economist Patricio Dalton and his colleagues found that the odds of Argentine soccer teams losing increased by up to 20 percent.

The investigation had a sad cause. After a fatal incident with a soccer fan in 2013, Argentina imposed a ban on all visiting fans in its top flight. The empty boxes were ideal for the experiment, which included 1,320 matches. In addition to the away team being more likely to lose without fans, it has also been shown that the chance of conceding more goals is increased, if only because there are no traveling fans.

This research, which is based on a scientific publication in Management science.

It also contains less optimistic news for Ajax and Manchester United; That is, moral support from fans has a greater impact on small club teams.

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