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Egyptian football fans woke up to the news of Emam Ashour joining Al Ahly, reminiscent of a gripping TV series. While the outcome was known beforehand, they followed the events with great anticipation until the final episode.

The last episode was the official announcement of Al Ahly, revealing the player's signing through a video broadcasted on the club's social media accounts, garnering over ten million views within hours.

https://twitter.com/AlAhly/status/1681363491838480385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1681363491838480385%7Ctwgr%5E1c271545b7a616fecb108f92efa514f430b2f360%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ida2at.com%2Fgen-z-why-player-introduction-videos-valuable%2F

We cannot deny the popularity of the deal, which was a fundamental factor behind the massive number of views. However, on the other hand, we cannot overlook the element that has become essential and eagerly awaited by millions with every football club's new signing: the 'new player announcement video.'

Perhaps now, we should address some questions to better understand the concept. The first question concerns the clubs themselves: why all this emphasis on player presentation videos?

# Target Audience

In the spring of 2021, Florentino Perez claimed during an interview with Spanish television that young people have lost interest in football. A month later, former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli made a similar statement, estimating that 40% of individuals aged 15 to 24 are not interested in football.

These statements were part of marketing efforts for the European Super League, which ultimately failed. However, it does not negate the fact that a significant portion of Generation Z views football as nothing more than a form of entertainment and prefers digital platforms that offer guaranteed enjoyment in less than an hour and a half.

Clubs quickly realized that they cannot ignore video-related apps such as Instagram and TikTok, as they aim to target a new segment of the audience that may not watch television at all but is deeply connected to everything digital. This may explain why the sports industry is the fastest-growing sector on platforms like TikTok.

The interest in posting impressive videos to announce new players has become a fiercely competitive trend among clubs. In response, fans show strong reactions, and they express dissatisfaction if they feel the video does not match the significance of the signing.

Thus, the classic way of announcing a player's contract with a new club has entirely vanished. There is no room for a dull image of a player shaking hands with officials at a desk with contract papers. Transfers have evolved from mere practical additions to the team to a means of enhancing the club's digital presence, including increasing revenue through shirt sales, for instance, and most importantly, gaining new fans from Generation Z.


# Messages Between the Lines

The video of Emam Ashour's deal was not stunning to the extent that it created all this controversy around it, but the controversy lied in the attempt to interpret what happened in the video. Was Emam really present at the summit match? Did he mean to pass by Zamalek's fans without any concern, signaling that era had passed and would not return? Was the reference to "ghost" implying that he was never truly a Zamalek supporter in the first place, or was it a nod to what the president of Zamalek Club believes and promotes about magic and mysterious matters? Everyone tries to interpret the situation according to their perspective, and that is precisely the intention.

There are dozens of player presentation videos that may seem simple, but you need to watch the clip multiple times to discover a new element and understand it better and better. Perhaps the announcement of Dutch player Matthijs de Ligt's transfer to Bayern in 2022 is a good example.

https://twitter.com/FCBayernUS/status/1549425399003750403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1549425399003750403%7Ctwgr%5E1c271545b7a616fecb108f92efa514f430b2f360%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ida2at.com%2Fgen-z-why-player-introduction-videos-valuable%2F

A water bottle stuffed with a Bayern shirt moves along the course of the river, then De Ligt picks it up, removes the shirt, and says a word in German. It may seem overly simple to the point of boredom, but with a little scrutiny, we discover from the background that this is the Isar River in Munich. The background music is also of the German folk accordion, and the word said is the friendly German greeting "Servus." Now, the video holds a nice value despite its simplicity, and that's how things unfold.





# Is It Worth the Risk?

After the controversy surrounding the messages conveyed by Emam Ashour's video subsided, some have come forward to confirm that the video fell short of expectations. They see it as an opportune moment to attack rivals and emphasize Al Ahly's superiority over Zamalek by choosing a player known for his strong Zamalek allegiance to play for Al Ahly voluntarily.

This raises a new question: Is it worth the risk? Certainly not. Player presentation videos are meant to serve as a supplementary factor but should not influence the technical aspect of a deal in any way.

These videos are usually the first glimpse of a player in his new team's shirt, and it is not advisable for a player to start his journey with added psychological pressure or significant responsibilities that hinder him from playing calmly and gradually adapting.

Thus, it is rare to see a video where a player appears antagonistic to a rival team's fans or portrays himself as a superhero who just signed to save his new team and fly them to success. This is precisely what a player should avoid in the early stages of joining a new team, and clubs are well aware of this fact.

However, this does not mean that major signings do not require grand videos. The notion of grandeur here pertains to production value, marketing, and effective utilization. The "Pogback" campaign, which spread after Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United, serves as a good example of a grand production featuring Pogba, Adidas, and rapper Stormzy in a collaboration that dominated the internet at that time.

https://twitter.com/lucass0305/status/764224525420654592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E764224525420654592%7Ctwgr%5E1c271545b7a616fecb108f92efa514f430b2f360%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ida2at.com%2Fgen-z-why-player-introduction-videos-valuable%2F

In the end, we know perfectly well that if you are a fan of player presentation videos, you are undoubtedly anticipating a significant evolution compared to what is happening in this industry worldwide. You may have every right to expect that, but believe me, we have come a long way. Try going back five years and watch the video of Ali Lotfi being officially presented as a new player for Al Ahly. It took place in a private dining room, with white curtains and a niche behind him, and remnants of birthday celebrations on the wall!