Published on : 19/09/2022 – 23:34Modified : 19/09/2022 – 23:32
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Self-proclaimed ‘the best football influencer’ in the world, Brazilian Luva de Pedreiro, followed by more than 40 million followers for his ball-to-foot prowess and goal celebrations, is a rich man at just twenty years old.
But the beautiful story of this kid from a poor neighborhood of Quijingue, in the state of Bahia (northeast), is also that of the difficult adaptation to a rapid celebrity, in the face of the violence of social networks.
On Tuesday, the young man, known to football stars, suddenly announced that he was going to stop posting videos to return to “live (s) a normal life”.
“I will honor the contracts I have signed with the brands I am engaged with but after that I will not make any more videos,” he said to the surprise of his millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube.
This expression has become one of his trademarks, with his black gloves (“luvas” in Portuguese, hence his nickname) and his way of celebrating his goals, imitated in particular by the German internationals of Bayern Munich, Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich.
“Incredible Energy”
On Thursday, Luva de Pedreiro released a story where he complains about not having “a single minute of peace”, after rumors that his decision to quit social media was either a marketing ploy or a rift with his manager. , Brazilian futsal legend Falcao.
The “break” announcement, which his advisers attributed to personal issues and overwork, was widely debated in Brazil and even lamented by FC Barcelona, who said on TikTok that “his incredible energy” would miss.
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It comes a few days after the end of a commercial tour in Europe and Asia. He has notably become an ambassador for the sports brand Adidas.
The influencer had also recently announced a representation agreement with Falcao, the world’s best futsal player in 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2012, after the split in June with his previous manager, Allan de Jesus, went to court.
The price of success
From his real name Iran Ferreira, the Brazilian star of social networks had nevertheless declared to AFP on Sunday, two days before the announcement of his withdrawal, that he thought “to be an influencer for the rest of (s) his life” . He even announced the upcoming release of two new productions, without further clue.
The streets and dusty grounds of his native region often serve as the backdrop for his videos, where he displays his touch of the ball and his sense of showmanship, mixing gestures and Brazilian slang.
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Its success has been dazzling: in March 2021, a video posted on TikTok went viral, viewed 30 million times. Shared on other platforms, it even exceeded 100 million views.
The originally poor kid now lives in one of the posh neighborhoods of Recife, capital of Pernambuco state, also on the northeast coast, travels all over the world and rubs shoulders with football celebrities like Neymar, Angel Di Maria or Ronaldinho.
“I didn’t expect to make any money from it. I didn’t see any future in it. Thank God today I can enjoy some fame and a job,” he said. he told AFP.
But what was initially just entertainment turned out to be much more complicated than expected, with many responsibilities.
“Young people who enter this world without looking for it, which is the case of Luva de Pedreiro, find themselves in a professionalized market, which has nothing to do with the playful use of social networks”, explains Issaaf Karhawi, author of the book “From blogger to influencer”.
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“A lot of influencers have to deal with hate speech, with a lot of haters…so mental health issues come into play.” According to her, the turbulence around Luva de Pedreiro “shows that there are things much more complex than having millions of followers”.
© 2022 AFP