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Though attendance at games is down in some areas (notably Britain and West Germany), the total number of followers has risen rapidly because of television. Europe now has 150 million sets, triple the number ten years ago, and sales keep jumping—often on the eve of a major soccer game.
This week's cup match will be telecast live to at least 28 countries on the Continent and beyond, including both Israel and Iran. Taking into account those who will see it on a delayed telecast, the game will be watched by more than 300 million people besides the 98,000 crammed into the Belgrade stadium. Says one French commentator:
"Televising football is now a public service. It's like showing Mass on Sunday mornings." But to considerably bigger and noisier audiences.
To date, television has not brought riches to soccer teams (most of which are run at a loss by enthusiastic benefactors). The reason is that European television is generally government-controlled and monopolistic; it lacks both the commercial sponsorship and the competition that boost bids for major U.S. sports. Ajax's share from the cup final will be only 225,000 guilders ($83,000), which will not even cover the playoff bonuses it has guaranteed team members.
TV exposure, though, has helped some individual stars to cash in on international fame. There is no shinier soccer star in Europe than Ajax's high-scoring center forward Johan Cruyff (rhymes more or less with rife), 26, a sinewy young Dutchman with strong, quick legs and fluttering, long hair. His salary as a player—250,000 guilders a year—is among the highest in the sport.
On top of that, "Cruyffie" earns 350,000 guilders a year through business investments and plugs for products ranging from Citroën cars to Bols gin (which he enjoys drinking laced with Coke).
Despite the changes in soccer, one ugly characteristic remains: fan violence and vandalism. Attacks on referees and players, brawls among spectators and window smashing after games are as common to soccer as cheerleaders are to American football.
In Italy a few years ago, one referee had his ear bitten off. In France, all stadiums have been forced to erect 7-ft.-high iron fences to keep irate fans off the field. In Britain, police patrol special football trains to curb fights. Last week in Rome, after Juventus won the national league title by beating Roma, the Juventus players had to drive through a gauntlet of angry Roma supporters who pummeled their cars with sticks and boots.
Belgrade, expecting an invasion of 40,000 emotional Italians and 10,000 partisan Dutchmen, is taking no chances for the European Cup final. To help distract the fans after the game, the Belgrade city council has ordered shops and restaurants on the main streets to stay open all night. In addition, virtually the entire police force of the Republic of Serbia will be on duty, trying to keep the peace. Still, Yugoslav authorities are happy to host the game.
They expect the feverish visitors to spend $6 million, win or lose.