It's all kicking off for soccer

Bayern Munich players, including defender Rafinha (center), appeared at a meet and greet with fans in Shanghai during the club's China tour in July.[Photo by Tang Yanjun For China Daily]

As sport's popularity grows in China, it is nice not to be the only one supporting a heartbreaker

When I arrived in China, almost seven years ago now, the typical response I received after telling a local soccer fan which team I support was, "Who?"

It hurt, but I shouldn't have been surprised. My club, Middlesbrough FC, is certainly no titan of European soccer - right now it isn't even in the Premier League, the top tier of English soccer, and it's been over 10 years since the club won its one and only trophy.

Back then most people I met in China followed only big teams, which is largely still the case. Research by Coventry University found that London club Arsenal is the most popular side in China, with Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona making up the rest of the top five.

Refreshingly, I've been coming across more Chinese fans in recent years who support less-famous teams - "unfashionable" mid-table sides that rarely win trophies but regularly break their fans' hearts.

Wang Xinjiu, an IT worker in Beijing, has been a die-hard supporter of Swansea City FC since studying for his master's degree in South Wales. The team was in England's lowest league in 2005 and only made its debut in the Premier League in 2011.

"When I was in Wales, I tried to go to every game, and I read as much about the team as I could," the 25-year-old said. "When I came back to China, I told people to pay more attention to Swans, as I think anybody who loves football would love to see the way it plays."

The Premier League is the most popular competition among Chinese fans, according to the university research report. By contrast, Germany's Bundesliga still has some way to go, but its profile in China has been raised considerably after the success of the German national side at the World Cup and European Championships.

Bayern Munich, the all-conquering champion last season, toured China in July to raise its profile among Chinese fans, playing exhibition matches against Valencia at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, Inter Milan in Shanghai, and against domestic rivals VfL Wolfsburg in the southern city of Guangzhou.

Beijing university teacher Fang Tu supports Werder Bremen, which finished 10th in the 18-team Bundesliga in the 2014-16 season and has not won a major trophy since 2010.