Footballer Finstas - Are They The New Norm?

By Maxwell Kablan

The link between social media and football is stronger than ever before. Today, fans have greater insight into the off-pitch lives of their favourite players, which they simply did not have 10-15 years ago. This has made the player-fan relationship stronger, as fans feel more connected to the players they watch every week.

Instagram has been one of the go-to platforms for this, as players have taken to the global presence it offers to communicate with fans. The total amount of followers from all Premier League players amounts to 708 million, which goes to show the huge reach players can have through a single post.

One rising trend players have taken up recently is creating public finsta accounts, which are secondary accounts where they can post unfiltered and authentic posts, that they would not post on their main accounts. So why is this becoming more popular?

Greater Self-Expression

In today’s world, footballers are often criticized for being robotic and lacking personality. Whether it’s generic post-match interview answers or social media apologies after a loss, it’s difficult for fans to truly connect with their players when they see the same responses over and over. They need to see something different.

Finsta accounts offer a deeper layer of expression for players, while also giving fans what they want – real and meaningful insight.

New Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitiké has had an explosive start to his Anfield career, but he has also made noise with his finsta account, which has grown in popularity since his move to the Premier League. The striker regularly posts dumps showcasing his clothing fits, what he gets up to during his downtime, as well as memes which he relates to. It gives the striker the platform to essentially tell a story through his posts, while fans get an insight into his moods and music taste, while feeling closer to him.

AC Milan winger Rafael Leão has also taken to his own finsta account, which blends his passions for fashion and music with regular posts. As a player with his own rap stage name (Way 45), his finsta also gives him a platform to freely promote his music, in a way he may not be able to do so as freely on his official account. With the rise in footballers creating their own music (such as Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi), this may become a more popular way for players to express their music.

There has also been a rise in players creating their own Instagram photography accounts. For instance, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has started his own photography page, which includes kit shoot pictures, pictures after games in the dressing room, and also content on international duty for England.

These accounts allow players to express themselves in ways they simply wouldn’t do otherwise, which is what makes them attractive for both players and fans.

More Marketable For Brands

One of the benefits of players having public finsta accounts is that it makes them marketable for brands looking to collaborate. Players who have finsta accounts essentially self-promote and reveal their interests to a worldwide audience, whether it’s clothing, music or food. Brands can then read into these posts to get a sense of players’ values, personality and principles, and who will be a good fit for them.

In today’s football world, players are their own commercial brands, and they have the platform to build their brand by being authentic and open about what they like. So self -expression through finstas is an easy win for both players and brands. When players are already naturally posting their interests on their finstas, they become attractive for brands to be brand ambassadors, and to further promote their brand so it brings additional growth.

This is a method that Nando’s used for Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka. Saka was already a long-time Nando’s goer, and regularly posted about having meals at the restaurant on his social media. So, by Nando’s making him a brand ambassador and creating his own peri-peri sauce, which was sold at food chains nationwide, they were simply tapping into an interest that was already there. It’s these types of partnerships that hit home the most, and allow brands to build genuine associations with athletes.

Players using finstas can go the extra mile in maximising these natural partnerships between fans and players. Typically used by younger players, they are an easy way for players to build their brand off the pitch. A recent trend when it comes to sponsorships is brands choosing to partner with rising athletes who have potential, compared to those who have already reached the pinnacle. So young players who

Likewise, brands also look at how athletes carry themselves beyond sport, such as how they come across and through their personality. If players can express these well through their Finsta accounts, it will serve them well when it comes to brand opportunities.

What Do Players And Brands Need To Be Aware Of?

With the increased exposure players have on their social media platforms, this also comes with risks that players need to be aware of when posting on their social media. For example, when posting on finsta accounts, players should ensure they do not post things that could negatively affect their reputations or the possibility of them engaging with other brands.

From a legal perspective, a growing number of brands are beginning to take up morality clauses, where sponsors can walk away from partnerships with players if there are appropriate grounds to terminate. As a result, players media teams must ensure they monitor players’ comments and their actions so that they do not land themselves in hot water. A Finsta account may be a secondary account, but players should be aware of what they interact with and post about in the same way as they would on their main accounts.

Brands should ensure they are as specific as possible about what the morality clauses extend to, and players should know this before partnering with a brand.  Vague wording can leave both players and brands in a vulnerable position, where it could be open to interpretation. As a result, clear and specific wording about a morality clause will make life easier for both brands and players.

What To Expect In The Future?

As footballers continue to use social media to express themselves, finstas are likely to become more popular. As the lines between football, music and fashion become more blurred, finstas represent a greater possibility of overlap, which will be reflected through brand partnerships.

Brands are already going bold with partnerships. From Lamine Yamal, Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo being Beats By Dre ambassadors to Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze being ambassadors for Burberry, the outline is already there. The most tapped in brands will capitalise on the boom in finstas to create these partnerships. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. For now, watch this space.