A huge chunk of Europe 's male population is salivating at the imminent arrival of Euro 2012 -- a month long festival of football between the continent 's best soccer sides . But the tournament , arguably second only to the World Cup in scale and prestige , is proving equally popular with the fairer sex , according to new research . For Germany and Italy , two perennial heavyweights in the four-yearly competition , women make up nearly half of the huge support they attract . This is a far greater figure than England , whose domestic Premier League is one of the world 's most popular competitions , where the national team 's supporter profile contains around 33 % females . Pedro Pinto 's Euro 2012 predictions . Danny Townsend , from firm Repucom who conducted the survey , says the Premier League has attracted more female fans to the game in recent years , but has a way to go to match its continental rivals . `` In Germany in particular , the national association has been ahead of the game for some time in this sense , '' he told CNN . `` Cultural differences also come into play to a degree , but you only have to look at the profile of women 's football in Germany compared to the UK for an example of the work that has been done . `` Ultimately , it 's a major goal for all clubs and organizations to engage more female fans . In most European markets , male interest in football is so incredibly high it is close to reaching a ceiling . `` However the potential for growing female interest is huge -- and , at the end of the day , it equates to more people playing the game and more people investing in the game . '' Racism , rather than Ronadlo and Ribery , dominates Euro 2012 storylines . Germany 's burgeoning female football fan population contributes to their position at the top of Repucom 's table , with 62 % of its country 's people supporting the national team and 44 % of that figure made up of women . Italy are second on the list in terms of well supported nations with 61 % of their population willing the Azzuri onto victory -- and just like Germany , 44 % of that figure consists of females . Spain , the current European and world champions , can begin their defense in Poland and Ukraine safe in the knowledge that half of their countrymen and women will be dedicated to the cause . But while England can rely on the backing of 15.6 million supporters when Euro 2012 kicks off , that figure only translates to 44 % of the adult population . Perhaps for a team that has only won one major title -- the 1966 World Cup -- that is not surprising . Yet France , who took both the 1998 World Cup and the European Championships in 2000 , are bottom of the fan mini-league , with only 38 % of their nation counting themselves as fans of the national team . According to Townsend , England 's poor performances on the pitch in recent years have translated to a drop in fervent fans off it . `` I think if we were to look back over the past 20 years or so , you would expect to find that England 's domestic supporter base would rival that of Germany or Italy in terms of the percentage of the population who back the team , '' he said . `` But what is undeniable is that the past couple of years have been very difficult for England on and off the pitch . Naturally , that impacts on the brand even although in aspects such as replica shirt sales , England is still way ahead of its competitors . `` Bringing back the feel-good factor and the pride in the national team has to be considered a major element of manager Roy Hodgson 's remit in Poland and Ukraine over the coming weeks . ''
New study of soccer fans shows female supporters on rise in Italy and Germany . Study finds that women are more likely to attend games than men. Of that 62 % female fans make up nearly half , with Italy attracting similar numbers . England can rely on 15.6 million fans but figure only translates to 44 % of population .