How social media power earned Nigerian footballer Sevilla FC D trial

In an era where digital platforms shape careers and opportunities, OlaGreat Osineye, an amateur Nigerian footballer, has become the latest example of how social media can influence the footballing world.

The player, who competed in the 2024 Lagos Liga for Superstar FC, recently gained widespread attention after amassing over 100,000 retweets in a bid to earn a trial at Sevilla FC.

While his efforts initially seemed to be ignored, Sevilla have now officially responded, offering OlaGreat a chance through a different pathway.

The journey began when OlaGreat took a bold step by tweeting at Sevilla’s official X account, asking:

“How many reposts for a tryout with your team?”

In what seemed like an encouraging response, Sevilla’s account replied that 100k retweets would be enough to secure a trial.

The challenge quickly went viral, drawing support from influential figures and thousands of football fans.

Within just 24 hours, OlaGreat had exceeded the requirement, with over 133,000 retweets, making it impossible to ignore.

Yet, despite reaching the target, Sevilla remained silent for days, raising questions about whether the club would honour the commitment.

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Joy is coming

Sevilla, however, have now addressed the situation by releasing a statement confirming that Chimezie Obi, a 19-year-old Nigerian player recently signed by Sevilla FC D (the club’s international team), have extended an invitation to OlaGreat for a trial.

The club also posted a video on X, in which Obi invited OlaGreat to take the opportunity.

While the offer differs from what was originally expected, it gives the young footballer a genuine chance to prove himself internationally.

Sevilla’s engagement with Nigerian football has been growing in recent years.

In less than six months, the club has signed three Nigerian stars Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidera Ejuke and Akor Adams, demonstrating a keen interest in Nigerian talent.

Additionally, Sevilla have an ongoing collaborative agreement with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to aid football development in Nigeria. The agreement focuses on coach training and youth player development.

Despite the positive outcome, this situation has sparked a larger debate about the legal implications of social media commitments.

With Sevilla’s delayed response and change in offer, questions arise about whether their initial engagement created a binding obligation.

Legal weight

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, sports lawyer and litigation expert Olanrewaju Olaleye shared insights on the legal implications of social media interactions.

According to him, a valid contract requires three elements: an offer, acceptance, and consideration.

In this case, Sevilla’s response could be interpreted as an offer, OlaGreat’s retweet campaign as acceptance, and the promised trial as consideration.

However, complications arose regarding whether Sevilla’s social media manager had the authority to make such commitments on behalf of the club.

“Social media managers are not necessarily decision-makers,” Mr Olaleye explained. “If the person who replied to Oladipupo was not authorised to make such offers, Sevilla could argue that it wasn’t a binding agreement. However, if Sevilla regularly uses the same account for official announcements—such as transfer confirmations—it strengthens the argument that the tweet carried official weight.”

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Another challenge is the ambiguity in Sevilla’s initial response. It was unclear whether the club was referring to 100k retweets of their response or OlaGreat’s original tweet.

This lack of clarity left room for the club to reinterpret the commitment.

Beyond legal complexities, this case highlights how social media is revolutionising football scouting.

New trend

More young players are leveraging digital platforms to attract attention and create their own opportunities.

OlaGreat is not alone in this trend; Ayo Hendricks, a University of Lagos graduate and goalkeeper, recently secured a trial with Ikorodu City FC after announcing his graduation and achievements online.

His impressive resume, including winning the FASU silver medal and the Gold Playball medal, caught the attention of the Lagos-based club, leading to an invitation to train with the team.

Social media’s increasing influence in football raises opportunities and challenges for clubs.

While platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok expose young talents, they also create public relations dilemmas for clubs when viral interactions lead to expectations.

Segun Adeboye, a Lagos-based club SLK FC director, noted, “Clubs must be very careful about what they commit to online because the public will hold them accountable. At the same time, these platforms are giving unknown talents a chance to be seen.”

For OlaGreat, the situation has taken an unexpected but potentially rewarding turn.

Though Sevilla have not offered a first-team trial (which could have been surprising if they did), the offer to train with Sevilla FC D represents a major step forward in his career.

The Sevilla FC D team, under the umbrella of the Sevilla FC Academy, will play in the Tercera Andaluza (ninth tier) and will be made up of under-19 players from across the world

As announced by the Spanish club, the team will be managed by Óscar Olomo, a coach with extensive experience in the club’s Women’s B team, alongside his assistant coach Antonio González, a former youth player at the club who also has experience coaching the Women’s B team.