In recent times, it has become customary for footballers to part ways with their former clubs through an emotional social media post – including a thank you to the fans, affectionate remarks about the club, and a mention of future aspirations.
Yet, when Fábio Silva parted ways with Wolves for Borussia Dortmund and Christantus Uche left Getafe to join Crystal Palace, their farewell notes seemed unusually similar.
On Aug. 29, Silva’s Instagram note started with: “When I arrived at Wolves, I was full of ambition, dreams, and a desire to leave my mark. I know I didn’t live up to expectations. But football and life are about more than numbers or moments on the pitch.”
Uche’s post, just five days later?
“When I came to Getafe, I was full of ambition, dreams, and a desire to leave my mark. I know I didn’t live up to expectations. But football and life are about more than numbers or moments on the pitch.”
From that point, the text matched precisely until the concluding lines. Silva ended with “I will always be a fan of this club. Thank you, Wolves. With all my heart,” whereas Uche simply substituted in Getafe.
Unsurprisingly, fans and media quickly connected the dots, proposing that the messages were generated by the same AI template rather than composed by the players themselves.
Whether it was a case of convenience or copy-paste, one thing’s for sure – when everyone’s farewell looks the same, the sentiment hits a little less.
