02 Football Signals

The pulse.

What fans are feeling, why, and where the conversation is coming from.

Analysed sample

181,854 comments · 197,289 posts · timeline January 2025 – July 2026

Club and sample testing team anonymised for privacy and ethics reasons

01What is happening

Net fan mood · full sample

+0.26

59% supportive9% neutral33% critical

Change · latest six months vs prior six

▼ 0.09

Net mood fell from +0.30 to +0.22

Feb 26 – Jul 26 · 42,458 stance signals

Net mood (months with 30+ comments)Comment volume
SIGNAL A

Mood has cooled

Net mood moved from +0.30 to +0.22 across the latest six months.

SIGNAL B

Loudest month: May 2025

14,566 comments — 3.9K posts that month.

SIGNAL C

Club management draw the most criticism

92% of stance signals towards them are critical.

SIGNAL D

37% of narratives are negative

Crisis, management failure, transfers, referees and betrayal narratives combined.

02Why it is happening

What drives the conversation

The topics fans post about, the narratives they share, and who they are for — or against.

Topics · share of posts

  • Matches & results38%
  • Player performance33%
  • Derbies & rivals27%
  • Fan culture19%
  • Competitions & standings18%
  • Official communications12%
  • Personal & human stories11%
  • Coaching & tactics9%

Narratives · the stories fans tell

Stance · who fans are for and against

CriticalSupportive
Players & individuals
+0.36
The club
+0.47
Match or post
+0.14
Rival & other clubs
+0.19
Coaching staff
−0.42
League, referees & national teams
−0.23
Fans & commenters
−0.22
Club management
−0.88

Stance targets grouped into categories; right column is net stance. Individual names are not shown.

Emotional register

03What people are saying

Voices behind the numbers

Pick a signal — or click any emotion, narrative or response type above — to read the comments behind it.

How fans respond

Intent

49%

Support

15%

Mock

13%

Criticize

9%

Request Action

5%

Inform

4%

Ask

  • يارب يكثرون المدربين في الدوري السعودي ليصبح دورينا اقوى كل دوريات العالم فيه مدربين من أبناء وطنهم ولازم السعوديه يصير فيها على الاقل ٣ مدربين

    InstagramMay 2025Hope 35

  • يستاهل الكوتش ولكن باقي في ملاحظات على اداء طريقة اللعب واداء بعض اللاعبين ونتمنى يجد لها الحل المناسب خلال فترة التوقف

    InstagramDec 2024Admiration & approval 2

  • المفروض كان جابو قلب دفاع. لأن اصاباتهم كثيره

    InstagramOct 2024Frustration & anger 2

  • الفروض ياخذ فرصه عشان يثبت إمكانياته

    InstagramOct 2024Hope 1

6,470 matching comments in the sample · Most-liked shareable examples shown · usernames, names and handles withheld

04Where it comes from

Channels & coverage

Where the analysed comments were published, and the wider public source catalog configured for this demonstration.

Analysed comments by channel

Instagram94%171,248
X4.9%8,877
Google Maps1.0%1,729

Google Maps entries are store and venue reviews; Instagram and X are replies to public posts.

Public source catalog

124 sources · 9 families
  • 40Players
  • 18Saudi News, Business & Culture
  • 18Official Club Channels
  • 13Global & Regional Football Media
  • 11Fan Media & Communities
  • 9League, Federation & Clubs
  • 6Commerce, Ticketing & Apps
  • 6Saudi Sports Media & Broadcast
  • 3Sponsors & Partners

Next · Ask & Report

Signals show what. Ask why it matters.

Ask a business question