Sevilla FC is trending, but not for the right reasons, after the Spanish club seemingly led 17-year-old Nigerian footballer, Ola Great, on a wild chase. The drama began when Ola simply tweeted the Spanish giants asking, “How many retweets for a trial?” To his surprise, Sevilla’s official English Twitter account replied, “100k RTs.”
In less than 24 hours, Twitter Nigeria delivered—surpassing the target with a massive 122k retweets. The world watched as the anticipation for Sevilla’s next move grew, with major outlets like ESPN picking up the story. Even Nigerians in Spain rallied together to cover the young player’s flight expenses, eager to see him get a shot.
All Sevilla needed to do was invite him for a trial.
But then, after 15 hours of mounting pressure, the club finally responded— and it wasn’t what anyone expected. Sevilla dropped a link pointing to an article on their website dated July 28, 2024. The article mentioned a “9th Spanish Division competition for international U-19 players,” and subtly hinted that while the tournament had likely concluded, Ola could apply for future opportunities.
Essentially, they told him: “This is what we have for international players, though it’s probably too late for this season, but you can apply next time.”
The response was seen by many as a letdown, with many concluding that Sevilla may have used Ola’s viral moment for publicity. While some have defended the club, arguing that the social media handler may not have had authority to make official decisions, others speculate that the handler may have been let go for the misstep.
Regardless, the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, and it appears that while some Nigerians remain hopeful, Ola Great, the U-17 talent, is already looking at other opportunities.
