Champions League: Die-hard football fans are like '12th man', according to latest research

According to a study, fans celebrating goals have a positive impact on players. Reuters[/caption]Various clubs around the world including European giants Bayern Munich, Sporting, Zenit St Petersburg and CSKA Moscow have retired their No 12 jersey as a mark of respect for their fans, who they term their 12th man and according to the study, the vociferous support from die-hard fans is equivalent to having an extra man on the pitch.According to the study, hearing and seeing frequent support from fans can boost players' effort levels by up to 8 percent which works out to an entirely new player.Jeannette Liendo, SVP of marketing in Europe at Mastercard, said, "Whilst much of our lives is moving contactless, physically interacting with your teammates whilst celebrating could be the secret to success on the pitch."The study was commisioned ahead of the Champions League final between defending champions Real Madrid and five-time winners Liverpool.Researchers also studied the impact of player celebrations on the outcome of the match and found that different player celebrations could determine if the team win or lose.Incredulously, the report claims that 82 percent of players who expanded both their arms ended up on the winning team, while 79 percent of players who made fists with both their hands were on the winning team and 77 percent of players who puffed out their chest after scoring, won.On Saturday, it remains to be seen whether Kopites can spur their team to glory or if the Madridistas will see their team lift the title for the third successive season.