In this episode of Footballers Unfiltered with Joe Hart, Leon Balogun joins Joe for a candid conversation about player safety, abuse, and the realities of modern football.
Joe and Leon previously faced each other in Celtic vs Rangers, one of football’s most intense fixtures. Reflecting on that environment, Leon explains what it takes to survive at clubs defined by expectation and emotion — and how passion, when unchecked, can cross the line into abuse. Those experiences form the backdrop to a wider discussion about where responsibility lies in protecting players.
A Nigeria international who played at the 2018 World Cup, Leon reflects on the highs and heartbreak of the tournament, including the match against Argentina, where a late goal ended Nigeria’s hopes. His club career has taken him through Germany, England, Scotland and now Cyprus, and across those environments he has seen how constant scrutiny, entitlement and pressure shape a player’s working life.
Drawing on FIFPRO’s Workplace Safety Report, Leon speaks openly about the normalisation of abuse and how football has become a 24-hour workplace. He explains that “there’s been a level of entitlement that’s crept into football, and it’s become unhealthy,” blurring the boundaries between passion and abuse. Over time, Leon says that pressure can take a personal toll “you start to question yourself, your ability, and everything you’ve worked for.”
Joe is joined by Gotcha Michel, Deputy Chief Executive of the Indonesian Players Association (APPI), who offers a global perspective on player safety. Gotcha explains how unions in Indonesia are responding to online abuse, including restorative approaches that focus on education, accountability and long-term cultural change.
Together, Joe, Leon and Gotcha explore what it truly means to treat the football pitch, and the digital spaces around it, as a workplace, and why responsibility for safety must be shared across players, unions, media, clubs and supporters.
This episode highlights Leon Balogun as a thoughtful and credible voice calling for respect, protection and progress, showing how football can remain passionate without putting its players at risk.
Together they discuss:
Why player safety must be treated as a workplace issue
Celtic vs Rangers and football’s most intense environments
How passion and fan culture can cross the line into abuse
The impact of constant scrutiny on players’ mental health
How player unions are responding to online abuse worldwide
To discover more about FIFPRO and their 60th anniversary, visit:
X: https://x.com/FIFPRO
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FIFPRO/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fifpro/posts/?feedView=all
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FIFProTV/videos
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fifpro
This is a podcast made by Message Heard for FIFPRO.
Host: Joe Hart
Guests: Leon Balogun; Gotcha Michel (Deputy Chief Executive, APPI)
Producer: Mark Kendrick
Production Coordinator: Kirsty McLean
Videographer: Sam Hockley
Editor: Nani Wenani
Sound Editor: Lizzy Andrews
