“It has become more violent” – Leon Balogun shares thoughts on the impact of social media between players and fans

Balogun played four games alongside William Troost-Ekong at the 2019 AFCON tournament hosted in Egypt where The Super Eagles finished as bronze medallists.

Super Eagles and Rangers central defender, Leon Aderemi Balogun, has spoken on social media’s impact on the relationship between footballers and the fans, Soccernet.ng reports.

Balogun, 35, last played for Nigeria in their AFCON 2023 qualifier 10-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe and was not a part of the team’s outing in Ivory Coast.

The former Mainz 05 defender currently works as a council member with FIFPro alongside Andre Onana and many others, and he revealed that the access fans in football have today is to the detriment of players’ personal lives.

“I have this feeling that this constant access to the real me as a player has lowered the threshold for fans in the stadium to a point where some think they are entitled to do things which they aren’t. Some people, not the majority, feel because they have paid for a ticket to come to the stadium that it somehow automatically gives them the right to abuse you. Some people just want to voice their frustration at you in a very inappropriate way,” the former QPR defender said on a FIFPro X Space as monitored by Soccernet.ng.

Following the outcome of the AFCON 2023 final against Ivory Coast, Ola Aina and Alex Iwobi were cyberbullied and even suffered death threats, and the Rangers defender believes things have gone too far as regards the limits football fans can go to air their grievances.

“It has developed over the last 16 years since I’ve been a professional. It has taken a turn for the worse with the introduction and rise of social media. With the spread and the rise of social media, it has become more violent,” the 6 ft 3 in tall defender added.

For Balogun, a preferred solution would be a middle ground where footballers, like fans, can air their pain and other emotions, so both parties are well understood.

“Ultimately, we all need to get along and create an environment where everybody feels safe to express themselves and to voice their opinion without harming one another. If we can remind ourselves of that every now and then, I think a huge part will be done,” he concluded.

Balogun has played eleven games for Rangers in the league this season, but picked up a face injury in the early days of February, and has to wear a face mask like Victor Osimhen for the foreseeable future.