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Social media has become one of the easiest ways for football clubs to interact with fans. With the advancements in technology and change in dynamics of the game, Facebook and other social networking sites play a significant role in the development of the game across the globe.
The inception of the Indian Super League (ISL) has resulted in the growth of football in the country, and social media has played a pivotal role in it. Nowadays clubs are using social networking sites like- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. for the promotion of their respective clubs and this is usually done by making an official page of the club which is handled by various social media experts.
Here, we will look at 5 most popular Indian football clubs on social media.
#5 FC Pune City (11,35,000+)
At number 5 we have FC Pune City. The club is co-owned by Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor. The stallions have 9,89,000+ followers on Facebook, 97,000+ followers on Instagram and 1,49,000+ followers on Twitter. Their best performance in the ISL was last season when they reached the semi-finals. French legend David Trezeguet played for FC Pune City during the 2014 season and scored 2 goals in 9 games.
In the current season of the ISL, FC Pune City occupy the 7th position on the table with 18 points in 15 matches, and their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages are minimal.
#4 Chennaiyin FC ( 14,90,000+)
Chennaiyin FC is one of the most successful sides in the ISL. The club is co-owned by famous Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, Indian Cricket team wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, and Vita Dani. Chennayin FC have 4,65,000+ followers on Facebook, 1,69,000+ followers on Instagram and 8,56,000+ followers on Twitter.
They've won the ISL title twice, beating FC Goa 3-2 in 2014, and edging past Bengaluru in 2017. Chennayin FC are currently languishing at the bottom of the ISL table and are enduring one of their worst ever campaigns.
#3 East Bengal (16,24,000+)
East Bengal have a following in excess of 16 million on social media
East Bengal is the only club from the I-league in this list. After the creation of the ISL, the I-League may have lost its shine, but the Red and Gold Brigades are still the most followed club in the country.
The Bengal based club is one of the oldest clubs in the world (Founded in 1920). They have 13,00,000+ followers on Facebook, 35,000 followers on Instagram and 2,39,000+ followers on Twitter. East Bengal has won almost 130 trophies during the course of its rich history. The club has won the Calcutta football league a record 39 times, winning the title consecutively from 2011 to 2017. They also have 3 NFL (known as I-League now) and 8 Federation Cup titles.
In the current season of the I-league, they're placed 2nd with 32 points in 16 matches.
#4 ATK (17,01,000+)
ATK
ATK was formerly known as Atletico De Kolkata because of their collaboration with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid which ended at the end of the 2016-17 season. The Kolkata based club has 10,94,000+ followers on Facebook, 1,44,000 followers on Instagram and 4,63,000 followers on Twitter.
ATK won the inaugural season of the ISL and won the championship again in 2016.ATK was formerly known as Atletico De Kolkata because of their collaboration with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid which ended at the end of the 2016-17 season. The Kolkata based club has 10,94,000+ followers on Facebook, 1,44,000 followers on Instagram and 4,63,000 followers on Twitter. ATK won the inaugural season of the ISL and won the championship again in 2016.
They are currently 6th on the table with 21 points in 16 games and are still in the race of knock stages.
#1 Kerala Blasters (21,41,000+)
At number 1 we have another ISL club, the Kerala Blasters. Kerala is known as the footballing capital of southern India and usually has a jam-packed stadium during matchdays. They have 11,17,000+ followers Facebook, 8,44,000 followers on Instagram and 1,80,000 followers on Twitter.
Kerala has reached the finals of the ISL twice, once in 2014 and then in 2016, and have lost on both occasions to ATK. However, the Kerala Blasters faithful have supported their team through thick and thin.
Due to their bad run in the league this season, Kerala Blasters have sacked their head coach David James. Nelo Vingada is the new head coach of the southerners.
The South Indian outfit occupies the 9th spot on the table, having won 2 matches, losing 7 matches and drawing 8 matches. As a result, they are out of the knockout race.
