For quite a few fans in Israel, the departure of Aviv Levy Shoshan from FC Barcelona was more surprising and painful than that of Philippe Coutinho. After three years of serving as the Catalan empire's social media director, the Dutch-Israeli departed what many soccer fans and professionals alike consider a dream job.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Very few people have the privilege of following footballers closely, through each training session and every match. Levy Levy Shoshan attended all of them, with his smartphone in hand, documenting every move some of the biggest stars in sports made and sharing it all. It was his job.
"I remember well my first day in FC Barcelona's dressing room, the moment when I met all the players and then-coach Ernesto Valverde. They told them that I would be responsible for social media and that they would see me around a lot. Everyone greeted me warmly," Levy Shoshan says, in a special interview with Israel Hayom.
He was born in 1982 in Amsterdam, to Israeli parents. As a child, he showed two Israeli qualities: he spoke Hebrew and he supported Barcelona. Therefore, when he received the offer from the Catalan club in 2018, he couldn't say no.
For Levy Shoshan, thanks to his work on the 433football website, there was nothing strange about being around famous players, but he admits that didn't include anyone at the level of Lionel Messi. "The first time we spoke, I told him what I was doing, and he said "Nice" and wished me the best of luck."
Q: Were you excited before your meeting with him?
"It was a dream. I am used to talking with players, but with [Lionel] Messi it was a bit different because he is an idol for all Barcelona fans and the best player in history. Ten seconds before speaking with him I was a bit stressed, but after that everything was fine. It doesn't matter if it's Manchester, Seville, or Lyon, people simply go crazy for Messi. It was a great privilege to talk with all the good players, who were also nice people."
Levy Shoshan can explain better than anyone if Messi's departure damaged the number of Barcelona followers on social media. He is aware the Argentinian's brand is extremely strong, but he reminds us that Barcelona has already existed for 123 years.
"Obviously he gave us a lot on social media because his impact is enormous. Maybe at the start, the fans were depressed, but Barca is Barca. Xavi has arrived, there's a new generation of youngsters coming through, and maybe in the summer, they can sign a mega-star. Don't forget that during these years Barcelona has been the leader on social media.
Q: What was your happiest event?
"Last season, when we had the amazing comeback in the semi-final against Granada and won the cup, I had the luck of being behind the goal where all the goals were scored, and all of the players came to where I was standing. The stadium was empty because of corona and everyone was shouting with joy.
Q: And the worst moment?
"Anfield. Getting knocked out by Liverpool was simply a nightmare. It was one of the worst nights, not just in my job, but in my life. At the first game at the Nou Camp we won 3-0 and we had the feeling that we were already in the final, and suddenly we weren't.
Levy Shoshan says that, even though Real Madrid is Barcelona's greatest rival, the most hostile stadiums are actually those of Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao. What didn't surprise him, of course, was the warm reception the Barcelona delegation received in the summer.
"Before I came to Barcelona, I followed Barca Mania on Facebook. The club with the most supporters in Israel is Barcelona, after that Real Madrid, and then the Israeli teams. It's amazing to see how many Israeli fans attend their matches," Levy Shoshan summarizes before adding with a smile: "We, the Israelis, are very good at high-tech and less good at soccer. Until now, at Barcelona, there was Guy Assulin, who played, Sergi Roberto's wife Coral Simanovich, and myself."
With all his followers, Levy Shoshan says that the most important feedback he gets is from his family in Netanya, a city that he visits a few times a year.
Q: The final and most important question. As someone who has been praised a lot for what you've done in your job, why did you leave the role?
"After three intensive years, I felt that I had to take another step, not to bore the Barca fans, and to start new projects." He will now be part of the International Players Agency and will work with top journalists like Fabrizio Romano. What's clear is that he will continue to visit the Camp Nou, with his telephone of course.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
