Barcelona are Europe's best supported club: report

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COLOGNE, Germany, Feb 11, 2009 (AFP) - Spanish giants Barcelona are officially the best supported team in Europe, according to a survey carried out by German marketing company Sport Markt, it was revealed on Wednesday.

The current Spanish league leaders are estimated to have 44.2 million supporters across 16 European countries and beat their rivals Real Madrid, who have 41 million fans and are ranked second in the survey.

Third are England's Champions League winners Manchester United with 37.6m and Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg are the surprise club in fifth with 23.9m.

And on their debut season in the Bundesliga, league leaders Hoffenheim have clearly caught the imagination of European football fans with a staggering 1,352 percent increase of their fan base compared to last season to take 39th place.