Belo Horizonte's Mineirão stadium is "proving to be a hit" with Brasileiro side Atlético Mineiro fans, according to Samindra Kunti of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. The club has recorded an average attendance of 49,175 at the ground so far this season, "beating average Premier League and Bundesliga attendances." Atlético Mineiro traditionally played its games at the Independência stadium in downtown Belo Horizonte, but since the opening in Dec. '12 of the "revamped Mineirão," home ground of city rivals Cruzeiro and host of six World Cup matches, the club has "played eight times at the UFO-shaped stadium." The fans have "flocked in vast numbers to the Mineirão, recording an average attendance of 49,175." The average attendance in the Premier League is 36,083, while the Bundesliga, the best attended league in the world, "clocks off" at 42,685 fans on average. The big crowds have "brought in big gate receipts," totaling €9.2M ($10.1M), with the Copa Libertadores final bringing in a "staggering" €3.9M, the biggest gate receipt in the history of Brazilian club football (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 7/12).
