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With the advent of social media, more and more clubs are making their presence felt in the virtual sphere. Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, clubs can now easily connect with their fans.
In recent years, Instagram has become a favoured social media platform for clubs, especially for the ones in Europe' top five leagues. Besides connecting with their fans, clubs also earn bucks based on the number of paid posts their players make on the platform.
Based on a study last year, Premier League clubs earned a cumulative £3.9 million from player posts on Instagram during the 2019-20 season. On that note, let's have a look at the ten most followed football clubs on Instagram:
#10 Arsenal - 19.6 million
Arsenal may have been disappointing in the last few seasons, especially after the exit of their long-standing manager Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners have finished outside the top four in each of their last five Premier League campaigns since finishing second in 2015-16. Despite their failings in the league and in continental competitions, Arsenal have won four FA Cup titles in the last seven years.
The Gunners have a significant presence on Instagram, with over 19 million followers, but the number has grown slowly since last year as compared to that of other 'big' clubs.
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal remain a work in progress. So it remains to be seen if the Gunners can produce a top-four Premier League campaign and return to the Champions League after a five-year absence.
#9 Manchester City - 25 million
Manchester City are one of the teams to beat in the English top flight. Pep Guardiola's men won their third Premier League title in four years last season, won the League Cup and made their maiden Champions League final (lost to Chelsea).
With an expensively-assembled star-studded squad at their disposal, the Cityzens are tipped for another strong campaign in 2021-22. City have over 25 million followers on Instagram, a number that is set to increase if they continue to fare well in the Premier League and finally clinch the Champions League.
In Pep Guardiola, City have one of the most gifted managers in the history of the game and have a wonderful blend of young and experienced campaigners. So it wouldn't be wrong to presume that City can be the next team to win the continental treble.
Whether that happens in 2021-22 or a few years down the line remains to be seen, though.
#8 Bayern Munich - 27.3 million
Bayern Munich are arguably one of the best club teams in the world at the moment. The serial Bundesliga winners won a record-extending ninth German top-flight title this year and bagged their second continental treble in 2020.
However, despite their blistering success on the field, their Instagram presence can be termed modest, at best.
Nevertheless, with the likes of the red-hot Robert Lewandowski, the evergreen Manuel Neuer and exciting wingers Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry, to name a few, Bayern Munich are all set to continue their dominance in domestic competitions and abroad.
#7 Chelsea - 28 million
Chelsea have had a remarkable change in fortunes since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in January this year.
The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG manager made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea embarked on an impressive winning streak across competitions. The icing on the cake was their first Champions League win in nine years, while the Blues also finished in the top four in the Premier League.
With an expensively assembled roster and a manager of pedigree at their helm, Chelsea will expect to challenge for the Premier League title this season, a competition they haven't won in four years.
#6 Liverpool - 31.6 million
Liverpool endured a torrid Premier League campaign in 2020-21, needing a late run of wins and slip-ups from their rivals to finish in the top four.
Nevertheless, Jurgen Klopp's men, who won their first English top-flight title in three decades last year, remain one of the teams to beat in the Premier League. In Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, the Reds have one of the most formidable attacking triumvirates in the game.
Their full-back duo of Trent-Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson and goalkeeper Alisson are three of the best players in their respective positions right now.
After an injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign that resulted in a calamitous Premier League title defence, Liverpool will hope to fare better in the competition and in Europe this season.
#5 Paris Saint-Germain - 37.2 million
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) may have failed to defend their Ligue title in 2020-21, but the French giants have one of the most enviable rosters of any club team in the world.
PSG narrowly missed out on a continental quadruple two seasons ago when they fell to Bayern Munich by a solitary goal in the Champions League final. Nevertheless, with the likes of Brazilian superstar Neymar, French sensation Kylian Mbappe, Copa America 2021 winner Angel Di Maria and Marquinhos, PSG are dripping with quality in every area of the field.
Lucien Favre's men are tipped for another strong campaign in all competitions this season, despite the rumoured departure of Mbappe, who registered a 40-goal campaign last season.
#4 Manchester United - 41.7 million
Manchester United, the record Premier League champions, have taken huge strides under their former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Despite failing to end their eight-year Premier League title drought in 2020-21 and losing to Villareal in the Europa League final, United are firmly on the way up. In Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba (although tipped to leave), they have two of the finest active midfielders in the game. They also have quality at other ends of the field, with Harry Maguire leading the defence and Marcus Rashford being one of many star forward players in their squad.
The Old Trafford outfit have also completed the much-awaited acquisition of Jadon Sancho this summer.
Although a return to their halcyon days under Sir Alex Ferguson is not immediately on the anvil, Manchester United are one of the strong contenders for the 2021-22 Premier League title.
#3 Juventus - 50.1 million
Juventus saw their nine-year Serie A stranglehold come to an end this year, yet the Bianconeri seem to have a nice blend of youth and experience for the returning Massimiliano Allegri to work on.
In the 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus have arguably one of the best players to have graced the game. Meanwhile, the likes of Federico Chiesa and Leonardo Bonucci, who impressed in Italy's victorious campaign at Euro 2020, and the excellent Matthijs de Ligt are exciting options to have on the roster.
The presence of Ronaldo means Juventus are the most followed Italian club on Instagram, with an impressive 50 million followers on the platform.
However, off the field, Allegri has work to do to return Juventus to title-winning ways and end their long drought in the Champions League. The Bianconeri were overreliant on Ronaldo for goals last season, struggled for creativity in the middle third and conceded far too many goals for their liking.
#2 Barcelona - 98.7 million
Barcelona are one of the most followed football clubs on social media, especially on Instagram, where they have close to 100 million followers.
After enduring a first trophyless campaign in more than a decade last year, Ronald Koeman's men won the Copa Del Rey and fell just short in a close three-horse La Liga title race after an underwhelming start last season.
Their all-time top scorer Lionel Messi is now a free agent after running out of a contract this summer. But the Blaugrana are expected to continue their association with the player, after Messi famously expressed his desire to leave the club last summer.
Koeman's team remains a work in progress, though, and will need more players to come to the fore and take the pressure off Messi if they hope to have a more consistent season in 2021-22.
#1 Real Madrid - 101 million
Real Madrid are the first club to record over 100 million followers on Instagram, narrowly edging out their arch-rivals Barcelona.
The Merengues finished two points short of eventual La Liga champions Atletico Madrid and reached their first Champions League semi-finals in three years in 20-21.
Karim Benzema has admirably stepped up after the departure of the club's record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2018.
However, with the departure of their long-standing captain Sergio Ramos and the imminent exit of defensive lynchpin Raphael Varane, new manager Carlo Ancelotti has his hands full. The likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are still going strong, but both players are on the wrong side of 30.
Real Madrid need an injection of youth to become a force to be reckoned with. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic wrecking the club's finances, Los Blancos are unlikely to make too many big-money signings this summer.
The record La Liga champions are tough to beat, thanks to their newfound defensive solidity. However, Real Madrid are unlikely to win the 2021-22 La Liga title if they do not address their goalscoring upfront and inject some pace and creativity in the middle third of the pitch.
