One of the worst things about Portuguese football today is the tragic decline in attendance levels, particularly for clubs outside of Benfica, Porto and Sporting.

Here, we look at the graphs that paint a concerning picture for the Primeira Liga.

[THREAD] #LigaNOS

Maritimo, as the only team apart from Benfica, Braga, Porto & Sporting to have been in the Primeira Liga every season since 1986, is perhaps the best example to show the change in home attendance over the last 30yrs for an average top-flight club. The trend is clear - & alarming:

We can also look at the top-flight attendance of other perennial Primeira Liga clubs as well, though. And again, the drop in attendance is dramatic. A rolling average is used to account for any one-off major fluctuation in attendance that could be due to events such as promotion.

Comparing the change in average attendance each year in the Primeira Liga to the major European leagues makes the attendance problem even clearer to see. While attendance in Portugal has decreased significantly since the 1980s, the reverse is true in Germany, England and France.

The Italian Serie A is the only world-class league which has suffered a similar drop in attendance since 1986 - however, their attendance started at a much higher level in the 1980s compared to the Primeira Liga - and has shown evidence of rising again over the last 15 years:

But the most stark comparison is between Portugal's Primeira Liga & Belgium's Pro League. In the 1980s, the Belgian top flight had HALF the attendance of the Portuguese. Today, despite the Belgian league not being as reputable as the Portuguese, the attendance levels are equal.