Spren, a streamer who made his debut in Argentina’s first division and didn’t last a minute on the field.

Ivan Buhaeruk, better known online as Spren, starred in one of the most unusual moments in the Argentine football league when he made his starting debut for Deportivo Riestra against Velez Sarsfield, leaders of the championship.

Although he was selected as a striker from the start of the match, his appearance lasted only one minute, during which he did not touch the ball before being substituted.

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Millions of subscribers and a lot of marketing

Main character. Spren, who has more than 7 million subscribers on YouTube and another 10 million on Twitch, has become one of the most recognizable figures in the world of video game streaming, with content focused on popular games such as Minecraft and Call of Duty.

Trade agreement. However, his connection with football was practically non-existent until he appeared in the starting line-up for Ristra. This debut of sorts comes thanks to a sponsorship deal between the club and energy drink brand Speed, sponsor of Spreen.

Controversial action. Cristian “El Ogro” Fabbiani, Riestra’s coach, explained at a press conference that the decision to field Spren was due to the club’s sponsorship obligations. “Ivan sells cans and he pays me for the can. So let him come,” commented Fabbiani, who admitted that he had previously informed the opposing coach about the situation.

Although Vélez’s coach accepted this explanation, several Argentine footballers and figures did not hesitate to express their disagreement, calling the act disrespectful to the sport.

Reviews. One of the most vocal critics was Brian Romero, the Velez striker, who said Sprin’s inclusion “sends the wrong signal to society and to young people who aspire to achieve professional football.” For his part, the president of Estudiantes de La Plata, Juan Sebastian Veron, called the incident “a complete lack of respect for football and football players.”

Reaction in networks. Social media reacted quickly to Spreen’s express debut, between humorous comments and criticism of the marketing strategy, which many considered excessive. Within hours, video of his warm-up and first seconds on the field went viral, sparking a wave of opinion and media attention.

Spren, born in Santo Tome (Santa Fe) 24 years ago, became popular during the pandemic and since then his fame has continued to grow, making him one of the most watched Spanish-language streamers, second only to industry giants like Ibay Llanos . and AuronPlay. The invasion of the Argentine league is another example of how marketing can influence sports by attracting new audiences.

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