For many players, the lines between personal and public life had blurred. Agents encouraged them to “build a brand,” post training videos, family moments, endorsements. But each post came with risks — the wrong emoji, a misunderstood joke, a photo taken out of context — and suddenly headlines would appear: “Star Player’s Wife Sparks Controversy with Post.”
Sometimes, the controversy came from nothing at all. Spanish midfielder Lucia Álvarez had a cousin who posted an old photo of them at a nightclub. Within minutes, tabloids speculated she was “breaking team rules” before a crucial match. Lucia spent days clarifying that the photo was from two years earlier, but the damage was done — sponsors called, her manager fumed, and fans questioned her professionalism.
