FC Balzers from the 2nd interregional league has had more Instagram followers than FC Basel and FC Zurich combined for a few days now - thanks to Argentinian influencer El Scarso. The Liechtenstein club and El Scarso explain the social media hype at a media conference.
A small club from the Principality of Liechtenstein has become an internet sensation. Within just a few days, the number of FC Balzers' Instagram followers has risen from around 1,000 to more than 420,000. By comparison, FC Basel, the Swiss club with the largest following, has 263,000 followers on Instagram.
How is this possible? On 28 December, Argentinian influencer Valentin Scarsini, better known as "El Scarso", called on his huge TikTok and Instagram following to make the "football club with the smallest fan base" big.
A video of this went viral on TikTok and was viewed around 4 million times within a day. The clip has since been played 8.4 million times. "El Scarso" has now traveled to Liechtenstein to visit FC Balzers. On Friday evening, a press conference was even held in the tranquil village of 4500 souls.
More than just a New Year's Eve gag
"After two or three days, we realized that it was more than just a New Year's Eve stunt. A week after the video, we took the initiative and Valentin Scarsini arrived last Monday. He is staying until Saturday evening. We have put together a varied program for him over the last few days," explains Sandro Wolfinger, Head of Marketing and player at FC Balzers. "It was Valentin's first flight and his first trip of his life. That alone made it an exciting trip for him."
But how did Scarsini come across the tranquil club in Liechtenstein? "When I set myself the task of growing a small club, I wanted to find the club with the smallest fan base that had great potential for growth. I then looked into FC Balzers, their football pitch and many other things about the club. The rest is history."
Scarsini is overwhelmed by the numerous reactions: "I had no idea it would get so out of hand. I thought we could get support. But I never expected it to explode like this."
