A Research On The Loyalty Level Of Real Madrid Fans In Spain And It’s Influencing Factors

Those super European football clubs such as Real Madrid FC,not only perform quite well in the highest level of leagues,but also been regarded as having countless fans with high loyalty.This research aimed at exploring the loyalty level of the fans of Real Madrid FC and its influencing factors,providing reference for Chinese football clubs in fans management and construction of club cluture.Studying in Real Madrid Universidad Europea makes it possible for me to visit the stadium of Real Madrid FC.The in-depth interviews with the director of Real Madrid fans department were conducted with the help of professors from Universidad European.Based on the historical data and existing research of Real Madrid FC,questionnaire and scale of fans’ loyalty were compiled.Fans’ loyalty was scored by Likert five-level scoring scale.The following hypotheses were put forward: H1: Real Madrid fans’ loyalty level is high.H2-H5 Team identity,team knowledge,community belonging and emotional connection have positive impacts on fans’ attitude loyalty;H6-H7: Attitude loyalty has a positive impact on behavior loyalty as well as on brand identity of sponsors.The results show that Real Madrid FC fans’ average score in attitude loyalty is3.80,and 3.54 in its behavior loyalty,which represent a relatively high level.Team identity,team knowledge and community belonging have positive effects on fans’ attitude loyalty,while fans’ attitude loyalty has positive effects on behavior loyalty and brand identity of sponsors.The influence of emotional connection on fans’ loyalty is not significant.Besides,factors such as gender,type of fans,how long they have followed the team,how many games they had watched,whether their parents support Real Madrid FC also have impacts on fans’ loyalty.Through interviews with the director of Real Madrid FC,the methods aiming to enhance fans loyalty taken by Real Madrid FC were found out,which include club ownership,membership system,fan loyalty project,digital marketing and brand building.Based on this,it is suggested that Chinese football clubs should cultivate a stable membership system as well as connecting with potential fans actively.At the same time,it is also of great importance to maintain a good brand image and improve the team performance in major leagues.