10 football clubs with the most followers on Instagram
With the advent of social media, more and more clubs are making their presence felt in the virtual sphere. Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, clubs can now easily connect with their fans.
In recent years, Instagram has become a favoured social media platform for clubs, especially for the ones in Europe' top five leagues. Besides connecting with their fans, clubs also earn bucks based on the number of paid posts their players make on the platform.
Based on a study last year, Premier League clubs earned a cumulative £3.9 million from player posts on Instagram during the 2019-20 season. On that note, let's have a look at the ten most followed football clubs on Instagram:
#10 Arsenal - 19.6 million
Arsenal may have been disappointing in the last few seasons, especially after the exit of their long-standing manager Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners have finished outside the top four in each of their last five Premier League campaigns since finishing second in 2015-16. Despite their failings in the league and in continental competitions, Arsenal have won four FA Cup titles in the last seven years.
The Gunners have a significant presence on Instagram, with over 19 million followers, but the number has grown slowly since last year as compared to that of other 'big' clubs.
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal remain a work in progress. So it remains to be seen if the Gunners can produce a top-four Premier League campaign and return to the Champions League after a five-year absence.
#9 Manchester City - 25 million
Manchester City are one of the teams to beat in the English top flight. Pep Guardiola's men won their third Premier League title in four years last season, won the League Cup and made their maiden Champions League final (lost to Chelsea).
With an expensively-assembled star-studded squad at their disposal, the Cityzens are tipped for another strong campaign in 2021-22. City have over 25 million followers on Instagram, a number that is set to increase if they continue to fare well in the Premier League and finally clinch the Champions League.
In Pep Guardiola, City have one of the most gifted managers in the history of the game and have a wonderful blend of young and experienced campaigners. So it wouldn't be wrong to presume that City can be the next team to win the continental treble.
Whether that happens in 2021-22 or a few years down the line remains to be seen, though.
#8 Bayern Munich - 27.3 million
Bayern Munich are arguably one of the best club teams in the world at the moment. The serial Bundesliga winners won a record-extending ninth German top-flight title this year and bagged their second continental treble in 2020.
However, despite their blistering success on the field, their Instagram presence can be termed modest, at best.
Nevertheless, with the likes of the red-hot Robert Lewandowski, the evergreen Manuel Neuer and exciting wingers Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry, to name a few, Bayern Munich are all set to continue their dominance in domestic competitions and abroad.
#7 Chelsea - 28 million
Chelsea have had a remarkable change in fortunes since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in January this year.
The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG manager made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea embarked on an impressive winning streak across competitions. The icing on the cake was their first Champions League win in nine years, while the Blues also finished in the top four in the Premier League.
With an expensively assembled roster and a manager of pedigree at their helm, Chelsea will expect to challenge for the Premier League title this season, a competition they haven't won in four years.