Who wants football back? Surveying fans in Brazil during COVID-19

In March 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic, the Brazilian football clubs were playing in state championships. Immediately after the WHO announcement, and with the first death in Brazil caused by COVID-19 on March 12, 2020, professional football competitions were interrupted. For four months, no professional football matches were held in Brazil. Official matches returned in the second half of July 2020, but behind closed doors. The aim of this study was to investigate whether, in the face of the pandemic, fans were willing to return to football stadiums as well as uncover the characteristics of those individuals that are more likely to support the return of professional football. The findings of this study may help clubs and sports federations to identify potential fans willing to consume sports goods under singular conditions, like new variants of the coronavirus