European Football 2024/25: Records, Trends, and Armenia’s Place

UEFA has released its latest European Club Talent and Competition Landscape 2024/25 report, summarising the past season in European club football. The document covers all major aspects of the game — from attendance and the transfer market to coaches, league structures and women’s football. Armenia is also assessed, with its standing compared to other countries in Europe.

Attendance Records: Football Back in Demand

European football set a new record in 2024/25, attracting 240 million spectators across club and national team matches. Of these, 227 million attended club competitions.

• Top leagues: The English Premier League, German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga maintained their leadership in average attendance. Germany alone recorded 13.5 million fans, averaging 44,200 per match.

• Lower divisions: More than 80 million people attended matches in second and third tiers, highlighting interest beyond elite competitions.

• Women’s football: Over 4 million spectators attended women’s matches. Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland drew a record 657,000 fans.

Armenia: The Armenian Premier League recorded a total attendance of 63,700 (47th in Europe), averaging just 354 spectators per match. For comparison, Georgia averaged 2,300, and Azerbaijan 1,500. The women’s championship, currently with 5 teams, has no available attendance data, reflecting its early development stage.

Transfer Market: Record €9.1 Billion

The summer 2025 transfer window was the largest in European history, with €9.1 billion in spending and €9.3 billion in income.

• Over 50% of spending was on players under 23.

• Nearly 10% went to teenagers.

• Clubs generated about €7 billion in profit, particularly through homegrown players.

Armenia: The country’s transfer activity remains limited. The overall balance was +€1.1 million, with no significant acquisitions. The average transfer fee was effectively zero. By contrast, Slovenia generated almost €10 million, and Slovakia about €4 million.

League Structures: Stability and Compactness

UEFA highlights the importance of league pyramids: in the past decade, 1,240 clubs have appeared in European top divisions. National cup competitions remain popular, with 86 lower-tier teams reaching quarter-finals across different countries.

Armenia:

• Men’s league: 10 clubs, triple round-robin format, 1 direct relegation place and 1 playoff spot.

• Women’s league: 5 clubs, double round-robin format.

For comparison: Georgia operates with 10 clubs in a summer season; Azerbaijan has 10 clubs in a four-round system.

Players: Younger Profiles and Increased Rotation

Clubs across Europe are using more players: an average of 30.5 per season, 8% higher than before the introduction of five substitutions.

• Over half of transfer spending is directed towards players under 23.

• Only 22% of players featured in 30+ matches, showing a more even distribution of playing time.

Armenia:

• Clubs used a European-high average of 37.5 players per team.

• 42% of playing time went to players under 23.

• 47% of players were foreign, comparable to Azerbaijan (42%) but significantly higher than Georgia (14%).

Coaches: Increasing Stability

Coach turnover in Europe has declined. For the first time in a decade, the average club changed fewer than one head coach per season, though 60% of teams still made at least one change.

Armenia:

• Average of 1.2 changes per club per season.

• 85% of head coaches were local, most with high-level playing experience.

This figure is close to Georgia (89% local coaches) and more stable than Azerbaijan (79%).

Women’s Football: European Growth, Armenian Beginnings

Women’s football continues to expand across Europe:

• Over 4.5 million spectators attended club matches.

• The transfer market has seen record deals, including the first €1 million moves.

Armenia: The women’s league, with 5 clubs, remains in the development phase. Armenian teams are absent from European transfer statistics, and attendance is minimal. UEFA, however, is supporting the sport through educational and youth initiatives.

Conclusion: Armenia in the European Context

The UEFA report indicates that Armenia lags behind its neighbours in key areas such as attendance, transfers and infrastructure. However, notable strengths remain:

• strong involvement of young players,
• record squad utilisation,
• reliance on domestic coaches.

For Armenia to progress, investment in stadiums, women’s football and a more competitive environment will be required. Without these, the gap with the rest of Europe is likely to widen.