A Nigerian footballer, Oladipupo Osineye, popularly known as Ola Great, has dragged Spanish club Sevilla to court after the club failed to offer him a trial following a viral social media challenge that generated more than 100,000 reposts on X.
The controversy began when he asked Sevilla through the club’s verified English-language X account: “How many RT’s for a try out.”
The Spanish side responded: “100k RT’s.”What appeared to be a light-hearted social media exchange quickly gained global attention as Nigerians rallied behind the youngster.
Within 24 hours, the post surpassed the target, attracting about 122,000 reposts and drawing coverage from international sports media, including ESPN.
The campaign also received support from Nigerians living in Spain, with some reportedly offering to cover the teenager’s travel expenses if the club honoured the challenge.
Expectations grew as football fans awaited Sevilla’s response after the repost target was achieved.
However, rather than extending a trial invitation, the club later shared a link to an article published on its website on July 28, 2024.
The article referenced a ninth-division Spanish competition for international Under-19 players and provided information on how foreign players could apply to participate.
The response triggered criticism online, with many Nigerians accusing the seven-time UEFA Europa League winners of using the teenager’s popularity for engagement without intending to provide a trial opportunity.
Others defended the club, arguing that the social media manager who made the original post may not have had the authority to guarantee a football trial.
Despite the backlash, some supporters remained hopeful that Sevilla would revisit the matter. However, Ola Great has now shifted his focus to legal action, filing a lawsuit against the Spanish club over what he considers a breach of the viral try-out agreement.
The case stems from one of the most widely discussed football-related social media campaigns involving a Nigerian youngster in recent years and has continued to generate debate over whether online promises made by verified corporate accounts should be treated as binding commitments.
