Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva believes football’s influence should extend far beyond results on the pitch.

Now working as an Arsenal ambassador, the Invincible has spent recent years engaging with supporters around the world while also reflecting on football’s growing responsibility within communities and modern culture.

In an exclusive interview with , Gilberto Silva discussed Gunners’ connection with supporters, the impact football can have outside the game itself, and why social media has changed the way players and fans interact.

Gilberto Silva on His Role as an Arsenal Ambassador

For Gilberto Silva, Arsenal’s connection to supporters has always stretched far beyond what happens during matches.

Now working as an ambassador for Arsenal, the former Invincible has spent recent years representing the club across the world, particularly during pre-season tours where fan engagement has become a major part of his role.

“I have done ambassadorial work for Arsenal in the last few years, especially in preseason,” he explained. “Last year, the preseason in Singapore, we had the opportunity to engage with the fans. It was a fantastic night to chat with the fans, where we could talk about Arsenal.”

While much of his work now falls on the commercial side of the club, the Brazilian believes Arsenal’s wider identity has always been deeply connected to its supporters and surrounding community.

“In general, my role is connected more with the commercial part of the club,” he said.

Arsenal's Community Work Left a Lasting Imapct on Gilberto Silva

Gilberto pointed to the work Arsenal carry out within the local community as one of the club’s defining qualities, something he says became increasingly clear during his playing days in north London.

“Not only work on football, but also work connected to the community around them, which for me is something very special, very unique,” he said. “When you are playing, sometimes you don’t have much time to see what’s going on around you outside football.”

Some experiences, he admits, have stayed with him long after retirement.

“Sometimes when we visit hospitals, [we] see children with cancer, which is always tough for me, and with different kinds of disabilities as well. But to see the contribution from the club and the players get involved on it, you know, it’s very important.”

For Silva, those moments reinforced the idea that football clubs can have a meaningful impact well beyond the stadium.

Gilberto Silva on Social media and Modern Football Culture

Gilberto also reflected on how dramatically football culture has changed in the social media era, where public opinion can quickly become extreme and reactionary.

“The world has evolved, especially the technology, in a different way compared to 10, 15, 20 years ago. Nowadays, everything we say becomes a massive instrument for love or hate. There is nothing in between sometimes.”

For the former World Cup winner, that shift has created a more reactive environment around football, one where criticism often arrives before reflection.

“People don’t stop to think,” he added. “Sometimes they just take this whole piece and make this a firework to throw headstones on somebody else, especially players, famous people, politicians, whoever.”

The rise of social media has transformed the relationship between players and supporters, but Silva believes it has also increased the pressure surrounding public figures within football.

Why Gilberto Silva Believes Football Is an Educational Platform

That is why Gilberto believes football still has a responsibility beyond entertainment and results. Education, he says, should remain part of the game’s influence, and he hopes his role as Arsenal ambassador can encourage more people to see football as a tool for perspective and learning.

“One of the important aspects for me, I think could be interesting, is education,” he explained. “I use the players as a platform because for me, football is an educational platform.”

“People can say there is performance, yes, but it’s an education as well. If you can use the power of football, the power of the players, the presence of the players to educate people to be more rational about life, [it has a huge impact].”

For Gilberto Silva, football’s greatest value may not only be measured by trophies or results, but by the influence the sport can have on people and communities long after the final whistle.

Read more: Gilberto Silva on Brazil’s 2026 World Cup Chances, Neymar and His 2002 Memories