Numbers all add up for Germany's Bundesliga

The Bundesliga leads England, Spain and Italy in every area from average gates to operating profits.

Bayern Munich's success has contributed to helping the Bundesliga become the most profitable league in the world.

Uefa's complicated league coefficient rankings may not agree, but the statistics do not lie: Germany is home to Europe's most profitable and popular league. The Bundesliga, founded as late as 1963, is a relatively new championship when compared to its European cousins. Italy's Serie A and England's Premier League both evolved from top-tier divisions originally created in the 19th century, although they have endured format overhauls since, while Spain's Primera Liga was initially organised back in 1929.

Yet, following an era of English dominance, it is the facts and figures emanating from the Bundesliga that suggest Germany may be preparing for its own reign of supremacy when it comes to European domestic football. Despite having only implemented the three points for a win system in 1995, the Bundesliga has quickly grown in stature and respect and can now boast a higher average attendance than any other football league anywhere in the world.

The most recent available figures reveal that, for the 2008/09 season, the German league attracted on average 41,914 spectators to each of its 306 league games. In comparison, the English Premier League - often billed as "the best league in the world" by pundits and punters alike - managed an average of 35,599, while La Liga and Serie A turnstiles welcomed less than 30,000 through for each of their 380 matches.

A report published earlier this year by Deloitte, the financial analysts, also revealed that the Bundesliga had overtaken the Premier League as the most profitable division in the world for the 2008/09 season. The English league still generates by far the most revenue, but when clubs' wage bills are accounted for, the English tier's ?92 million (Dh448m) operating profits are almost half that of their German counterparts' ?172m. Serie A and La Liga continue to operate at a loss.

However, such statistics mean little to European football's governing body at this stage. Uefa's league coefficient rankings dictate the number of clubs from each country that will qualify to compete in the confederation's two continental competitions, the Champions League, Europe's stellar club competition, and the Europa League, the bridesmaid competition. But with the rankings determining the allocation for the season after next as well being calculated by teams' results in European tournaments over the past five seasons, the Premier League - which has produced five finalists since 2005/06 - can be confident of remaining top for the foreseeable future, which should result in it maintaining its four Champions League places.

Spain are also allocated four places, while Germany leapfrogged Italy in the rankings earlier this year to claim an extra place, meaning that from 2012/13 Serie A will lose a Champions League qualifying place to the Bundesliga. The Italian league, having produced two Champions League winners in the past five years - including the holders Inter Milan - may well feel hard done by, but few can argue that the league itself is not facing problems.

Many of the league's biggest names, such as Kaka, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paolo Maldini have left or retired in recent years, while Jose Mourinho, the coach who led Inter to continental glory, had resigned before the tickertape had even been swept off the field at the Bernabeu after last year's Champions League final success over Bayern Munich. If any championship were to topple the Premier League from its perch, in terms of pure footballing talent, it would surely be Spain's Primera Liga.

With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, widely accepted as the two finest players in the world, playing for rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, as well as the country's national team being World and European champions, there is no other country on the planet that can claim to be home to better football. Atletico Madrid even won the inaugural Europa League last season, beating Fulham, of England, 2-1 in the final.

Yet the Primera Liga suffers from a problem in that the league's two biggest clubs - Barca and Real - have won 17 of the past 20 titles. Such a dominance means that while the top two are able to dominate and secure the best players, many of the remaining 20 teams struggle. Valencia, who finished third last season and are dogged by massive debts, were 25 points adrift from second-placed Real and have since lost David Villa, their prolific goalscorer, to Barcelona and David Silva, their mercurial winger, to Manchester City.

However, such domestic dominance as viewed in Spain has been a feature of all four European leagues of late. Inter Milan have successfully secured the Serie A title every year since 2005, while Bayern Munich have triumphed in Germany in six of the last 10 seasons. In England, Manchester United have won an unrivalled 11 of the past 17 titles. However, the English league this year is expected to produce a thrilling championship race with more than five genuine contenders for the title. Whether it is enough to boost gate receipts and increase profitability remains to be seen.

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