For Some Football Fans, Dating a Rival Supporter Is a Red Card 🚩⚽

Finding love is hard enough these days. But for some football fans, there's one question that needs answering before things get serious:

"Who do you cheer for?"

A new survey of 2,000 football supporters found that more than one in five fans say they would never date someone who supports their team's biggest rival.

In fact, 38 per cent admit they ask about a potential partner's favourite club very early in the dating process. For many, it's not just making conversation. Nearly four in 10 say they're trying to figure out if the answer is a complete dealbreaker.

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And it's not always about personal preference. Almost a quarter of fans say they're concerned about what friends and family might think if they showed up at Sunday dinner with someone wearing the wrong jersey.

Things don't necessarily get easier if the relationship survives. Thirteen per cent of fans say they only watch rivalry matches in public places to prevent arguments from getting out of hand.

Some couples are already debating issues that are years away from mattering. Twenty-two per cent admit they've argued about which team their future children will support.

The poll also found that 27 per cent would rather watch a football match than go on a date. Which, depending on the date, might be understandable.

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When couples support different teams, the biggest causes of conflict include:

• Match results (19%)
• Refereeing decisions (17%)
• Games taking priority over social plans (16%)

Despite all the rivalry, sport remains an important part of compatibility. More than four in 10 people say it's important that a romantic partner has at least some interest in sports.

Apparently, opposites attract... unless one of those opposites cheers for your team's biggest enemy.