Presenting your club’s latest signing to the world has become a contest of one-upmanship for the social media teams of Europe’s football clubs, with everyone scrambling for an original, innovative or downright wacky way to create maximum buzz. Long gone are the days where a new player was simply pictured smiling with pen in hand, inking the contract that tied him to his new club. Nowadays the creative wheels whir into overdrive whenever a headline-grabbing addition is made to a squad – and here Champions Journal spotlights five viral unveilings.
Manchester City, 2022/23
Erling Haaland’s arrival provided City’s social media team with the sort of open goal the Norway international relishes. The English champions’ new goal-getter was unveiled on 13 June – the same date that his dad, Alf-Inge, joined City 22 years earlier. Childhood snaps of Erling in the club’s kit presented them with a déjà vu recreation opportunity that, understandably, they didn’t pass up.
Villarreal, 2018/19
The Spaniard had been told that an horrific leg injury would end his career, and could well see his foot amputated, but he defied the odds – and the doctors – to play again. It was the miraculous nature of his recovery that inspired Villarreal’s legendary presentation of him when he joined from Arsenal in 2018. Encased in a smoke-filled container, the pocket-sized playmaker emerged after a magician conjured him up on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Presenting your club’s latest signing to the world has become a contest of one-upmanship for the social media teams of Europe’s football clubs, with everyone scrambling for an original, innovative or downright wacky way to create maximum buzz. Long gone are the days where a new player was simply pictured smiling with pen in hand, inking the contract that tied him to his new club. Nowadays the creative wheels whir into overdrive whenever a headline-grabbing addition is made to a squad – and here Champions Journal spotlights five viral unveilings.
Manchester City, 2022/23
Erling Haaland’s arrival provided City’s social media team with the sort of open goal the Norway international relishes. The English champions’ new goal-getter was unveiled on 13 June – the same date that his dad, Alf-Inge, joined City 22 years earlier. Childhood snaps of Erling in the club’s kit presented them with a déjà vu recreation opportunity that, understandably, they didn’t pass up.
Villarreal, 2018/19
The Spaniard had been told that an horrific leg injury would end his career, and could well see his foot amputated, but he defied the odds – and the doctors – to play again. It was the miraculous nature of his recovery that inspired Villarreal’s legendary presentation of him when he joined from Arsenal in 2018. Encased in a smoke-filled container, the pocket-sized playmaker emerged after a magician conjured him up on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Liverpool, 2017/18
The Egyptian superstar has received many awards but he’s unlikely to be nominated for an Oscar any time soon. Ever, in fact. With the striker’s arrival imminent, the Reds’ social media team surfed the ‘Announce’ phenomenon by setting up their own Announce Salah Now account. Cue video with a close-up of a phone and the hands of someone scrolling through the comments from fans, before the camera pulls back to reveal a smiling Salah, waving woodenly and declaring, “Salah announced!”
Diego Maradona attracted 75,000 napoli fans in 1984 – Ronaldo got a record 80,000 supporters
Paris Saint-Germain, 2012/13
It’s not often the Eiffel Tower is upstaged. However, when Paris Saint-Germain fans got a first glimpse of their new superstar striker in front of the French capital’s totemic landmark in 2012, it was well and truly Zlataned. Four years later, with his successful Paris sojourn seemingly coming to an end, Ibrahimović said, “If they replace the Eiffel Tower with a statue of me, then I will stay. I promise.” Needless to say, la tour Eiffel is still in place – and Zlatan is in Italy.
Real Madrid, 2009/10
What a summer Madrid fans had in 2009: sandwiched between the arrivals of Kakà and Karim Benzema was that of Cristiano Ronaldo. While his new team-mates drew sizeable crowds for their Bernabéu presentations, the Portuguese broke the mould. Diego Maradona attracted 75,000 fans for his Napoli arrival in 1984 – Ronaldo got a record 80,000 supporters. They witnessed a classic unveiling: waving and obligatory ball-juggling in his new kit.
Presenting your club’s latest signing to the world has become a contest of one-upmanship for the social media teams of Europe’s football clubs, with everyone scrambling for an original, innovative or downright wacky way to create maximum buzz. Long gone are the days where a new player was simply pictured smiling with pen in hand, inking the contract that tied him to his new club. Nowadays the creative wheels whir into overdrive whenever a headline-grabbing addition is made to a squad – and here Champions Journal spotlights five viral unveilings.
Manchester City, 2022/23
Erling Haaland’s arrival provided City’s social media team with the sort of open goal the Norway international relishes. The English champions’ new goal-getter was unveiled on 13 June – the same date that his dad, Alf-Inge, joined City 22 years earlier. Childhood snaps of Erling in the club’s kit presented them with a déjà vu recreation opportunity that, understandably, they didn’t pass up.
Villarreal, 2018/19
The Spaniard had been told that an horrific leg injury would end his career, and could well see his foot amputated, but he defied the odds – and the doctors – to play again. It was the miraculous nature of his recovery that inspired Villarreal’s legendary presentation of him when he joined from Arsenal in 2018. Encased in a smoke-filled container, the pocket-sized playmaker emerged after a magician conjured him up on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Presenting your club’s latest signing to the world has become a contest of one-upmanship for the social media teams of Europe’s football clubs, with everyone scrambling for an original, innovative or downright wacky way to create maximum buzz. Long gone are the days where a new player was simply pictured smiling with pen in hand, inking the contract that tied him to his new club. Nowadays the creative wheels whir into overdrive whenever a headline-grabbing addition is made to a squad – and here Champions Journal spotlights five viral unveilings.
Manchester City, 2022/23
Erling Haaland’s arrival provided City’s social media team with the sort of open goal the Norway international relishes. The English champions’ new goal-getter was unveiled on 13 June – the same date that his dad, Alf-Inge, joined City 22 years earlier. Childhood snaps of Erling in the club’s kit presented them with a déjà vu recreation opportunity that, understandably, they didn’t pass up.
Villarreal, 2018/19
The Spaniard had been told that an horrific leg injury would end his career, and could well see his foot amputated, but he defied the odds – and the doctors – to play again. It was the miraculous nature of his recovery that inspired Villarreal’s legendary presentation of him when he joined from Arsenal in 2018. Encased in a smoke-filled container, the pocket-sized playmaker emerged after a magician conjured him up on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Presenting your club’s latest signing to the world has become a contest of one-upmanship for the social media teams of Europe’s football clubs, with everyone scrambling for an original, innovative or downright wacky way to create maximum buzz. Long gone are the days where a new player was simply pictured smiling with pen in hand, inking the contract that tied him to his new club. Nowadays the creative wheels whir into overdrive whenever a headline-grabbing addition is made to a squad – and here Champions Journal spotlights five viral unveilings.
Manchester City, 2022/23
Erling Haaland’s arrival provided City’s social media team with the sort of open goal the Norway international relishes. The English champions’ new goal-getter was unveiled on 13 June – the same date that his dad, Alf-Inge, joined City 22 years earlier. Childhood snaps of Erling in the club’s kit presented them with a déjà vu recreation opportunity that, understandably, they didn’t pass up.
Villarreal, 2018/19
The Spaniard had been told that an horrific leg injury would end his career, and could well see his foot amputated, but he defied the odds – and the doctors – to play again. It was the miraculous nature of his recovery that inspired Villarreal’s legendary presentation of him when he joined from Arsenal in 2018. Encased in a smoke-filled container, the pocket-sized playmaker emerged after a magician conjured him up on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Liverpool, 2017/18
The Egyptian superstar has received many awards but he’s unlikely to be nominated for an Oscar any time soon. Ever, in fact. With the striker’s arrival imminent, the Reds’ social media team surfed the ‘Announce’ phenomenon by setting up their own Announce Salah Now account. Cue video with a close-up of a phone and the hands of someone scrolling through the comments from fans, before the camera pulls back to reveal a smiling Salah, waving woodenly and declaring, “Salah announced!”
Diego Maradona attracted 75,000 napoli fans in 1984 – Ronaldo got a record 80,000 supporters
Paris Saint-Germain, 2012/13
It’s not often the Eiffel Tower is upstaged. However, when Paris Saint-Germain fans got a first glimpse of their new superstar striker in front of the French capital’s totemic landmark in 2012, it was well and truly Zlataned. Four years later, with his successful Paris sojourn seemingly coming to an end, Ibrahimović said, “If they replace the Eiffel Tower with a statue of me, then I will stay. I promise.” Needless to say, la tour Eiffel is still in place – and Zlatan is in Italy.
Real Madrid, 2009/10
What a summer Madrid fans had in 2009: sandwiched between the arrivals of Kakà and Karim Benzema was that of Cristiano Ronaldo. While his new team-mates drew sizeable crowds for their Bernabéu presentations, the Portuguese broke the mould. Diego Maradona attracted 75,000 fans for his Napoli arrival in 1984 – Ronaldo got a record 80,000 supporters. They witnessed a classic unveiling: waving and obligatory ball-juggling in his new kit.
Presenting your club’s latest signing to the world has become a contest of one-upmanship for the social media teams of Europe’s football clubs, with everyone scrambling for an original, innovative or downright wacky way to create maximum buzz. Long gone are the days where a new player was simply pictured smiling with pen in hand, inking the contract that tied him to his new club. Nowadays the creative wheels whir into overdrive whenever a headline-grabbing addition is made to a squad – and here Champions Journal spotlights five viral unveilings.
Manchester City, 2022/23
Erling Haaland’s arrival provided City’s social media team with the sort of open goal the Norway international relishes. The English champions’ new goal-getter was unveiled on 13 June – the same date that his dad, Alf-Inge, joined City 22 years earlier. Childhood snaps of Erling in the club’s kit presented them with a déjà vu recreation opportunity that, understandably, they didn’t pass up.
Villarreal, 2018/19
The Spaniard had been told that an horrific leg injury would end his career, and could well see his foot amputated, but he defied the odds – and the doctors – to play again. It was the miraculous nature of his recovery that inspired Villarreal’s legendary presentation of him when he joined from Arsenal in 2018. Encased in a smoke-filled container, the pocket-sized playmaker emerged after a magician conjured him up on the pitch at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
