- Football Unfiltered series will uncover ‘rarely heard’ side of players’ lives
- Giorgio Chiellini is the first guest on the series
- With an episode each month, the series will be recorded at Spotify studios
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart will host ‘Footballers Unfiltered’, a new series in which he invites men and women players to speak frankly about important but little-discussed issues in professional football.
In the first episode, Hart talks to Giorgio Chiellini about preparing for a second career, even while pursuing success as a football player. Over the coming weeks, Hart will speak with other players about issues including social media abuse, disordered eating and match-fixing.
The series, to be recorded at Spotify’s London studios, coincides with the year of FIFPRO’s 60th anniversary and each instalment will feature a union representative: appearing on the first podcast with Chiellini is Chris Higgins, a former footballer who advises players on life after football at PFA Scotland.
Hart, who played for Manchester City and Celtic, and represented England 75 times, is himself embarking on a second career as a rising star in football broadcasting; he appears regularly on the BBC’s Match of the Day, as well as co-commentating for TNT Sports for live coverage of the UEFA Champions League in the UK.
Joe Hart said: "I am delighted to host Footballers Unfiltered, a project unlike any other. As a player, I’ve always embraced big challenges, and this is no exception: creating a platform for honest conversations between players on the many aspects of our day-to-day careers.
"Having played for so many years, I owe so much to football, and I’m excited to give something back to the game through this project.
"With the help of some fascinating guests, Footballers Unfiltered will uncover a rarely heard side of the profession, sharing personal stories and showcasing the power of the collective to overcome all kinds of challenges."
On Footballers Unfiltered, Hart will discuss themes with invited players such as the mental benefits of preparing for a second career; the little-known legal obligations when a footballer is approached to fix a game; and whether social media can be a trigger for disordered eating. He will also broach other issues such as extreme workload, online abuse, fake agents, doping and contract violations.
In the first episode, Chiellini tells Hart about how studying for a business degree as a Juventus player sharpened his mind on the pitch. Chiellini discusses his own career progression, and how one of his former Juventus team-mates has studied to become a sommelier.
Chiellini and Hart also talk about some key moments in the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy, and whether his interaction with Harry Kane just before the championship-deciding penalty shootout was gamesmanship.
The first episode of Footballers Unfiltered will air from Wednesday 15 January with a new audio and video episode every month on Spotify throughout 2025. The series will also be available on other major podcast platforms and on FIFPRO’s YouTube channel.
