As Striver.Football Co-founder and World Cup winner Roberto Carlos says, "Fans want to celebrate the victories, understand the challenges and feel closer to the people behind the player."
Why Footballers Want To Share More Than Matchday Moments
Now more than ever, football players are placing emphasis on the fact that beyond being professional sports stars and role models, they are also human beings.
Striver Founder and CEO, Tim Chase, supports this transition, emphasising how Striver is "creating a space where athletes can tell their own stories, and share their journeys in their own words."
How Players Are Building Deeper Connections With Fans
Through social media platforms, fans are gaining access to behind the scenes moments they've never seen before.
The connection between players and fans hasn't been stronger, and Tim Chase agrees, with the creation of the Striver platform helping players to "build meaningful relationships with fans in a safe and positive environment."
There's been a surge in players creating second Instagram accounts in order to freely express themselves without adhering to strict PR from their football clubs.
They've made it clear that they miss being authentic, and want to be able to show their creative passions and off duty hobbies to their audience, who thrive on this relatability.
Many global superstars have joined in on this trend, such as Hugo Ekitike (@heesheki), Declan Rice (@dr.jpg) and Vinicius Junior (@junior7vj).
Robert Carlos assumes there will only be more movements like this to come, as he understands "football has always been about emotion and connection".
Current social media platforms have many positives, however far too often the feeling of impunity encourages users to send hateful messages to professional players.
During the first 5 months of the 2021-22 season, 7 in 10 premier league players faced abuse on Twitter (X), making it clear that something needed to be done.
This is where Striver comes in, as Co Founder Roberto Carlos states, "Striver gives players a way to share who they really are, while encouraging positive conversations."
Read More: Football’s Personal Branding Boom: Why Fans Want More Than Matchday Moments
Why Players Are Sharing More Of Their Lives Than Ever Before
Former Bournemouth footballing couple, Marco Senesi and Kelci Bowers, are a strong indication of the level of intimacy that players want their fans to see. They have been documenting their lives on TikTok throughout the season, generating millions of organic views.
Bournemouth have been reshuffling since the departure of Antoine Semenyo, and this includes Senesi's transfer to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, which was revealed to fans via girlfriend Kelci's TikTok page.
They also gave followers a live reaction to a call Senesi received while on holiday from the Argentina manager, Lionel Scaloni, who informed Senesi of his late inclusion to their World Cup squad following an injury to fellow international defender, Leonardo Balerdi.
This is just one example of how transparent players are willing to be with their personal lives, and with his Tottenham Hotspur transfer reveal reaching over 300k views in a matter of days, the fans are showing that they overwhelmingly support this openness.
This trend is acknowledged by Tim Chase, who says: "the next generation want to understand who players really are beyond the 90 minutes."
Social Platforms vs Traditional Media, who is winning?
Fabrizio Romano has become a global name, because his ability to use social media to freely post the insider knowledge he has on the world of football, from years of experience, has drawn millions of views and engagements.
Sharing glimpses of the behind the scenes of football transfer markets has led him to becoming a superstar in his own right, and it is because he recognised early that this is what football fans want to know.
He is different from all other football agents, which is primarily because he is simply being himself, and this ideology is supported by Tim Chase, who believes "authenticity isn't a trend; it's the future of fan engagement."
How Striver Is Creating A Better Space For Players And Fans
Striver recognises that the football audience is evolving, in Tim Chase's words: "Young fans don't just want highlights anymore - they want honesty, personality and connection."
But it's not just the fans, it's the players too, and Striver will continue encouraging openness from the World's biggest stars, because as Roberto Carlos knows, "being authentic helps build trust and lasting relationships."
