FremantleMedia & Gianluca Vialli Talk Football Nightmares

Retired footballer Gianluca Vialli speaks about his new reality show, co-developed with FremantleMedia Italia, and its potential for international adaptations.

Often referred to as “The Beautiful Game,” football doesn’t just capture audiences at the professional level. Its passionate fan base also engages with the sport at a local level in all corners of the globe. “Football is popular all over the world, and it transcends international and cultural boundaries,” says legendary footballer Gianluca Vialli, who played professionally in Italy for Cremonese, Sampdoria and Juventus, and in the U.K. for Chelsea before becoming a TV analyst for Sky Italia in 2003.

The new reality format Football Nightmares, co-developed by FremantleMedia Italia in conjunction with Vialli, leverages the widespread passion for the game. It shines a light on struggling grassroots clubs with losing records, providing them with the guidance they need to succeed and giving their fans a reason to cheer again.

Vialli serves as executive producer for the 8×1-hour Italian version of the format, titled Squadre da incubo, which premiered last Thursday on Sky Italia’s channel MTV8. He also stars in the series along with his friend and retired football player Lorenzo Amoruso.

“Football Nightmares is one way for me to feel as if I’m giving back and doing something to make the game even more beautiful,” says Vialli. “I’m very grateful to football. Therefore, every time there’s an opportunity to do something that can improve the game, it’s a must for me.”

He adds, “This format has elements of comedy and drama, and it’s about people that are real. The teams represent everybody that loves and plays football, and everyone will relate to them, so it will appeal to a very wide audience. Plus, the underdog story is always appealing.”

The idea for the show, which sees two former professional players set out on a mission to transform grassroots football clubs that are on dire losing streaks, initiated during a conversation Vialli had with television writers over dinner. He expressed his desire to serve as a “football consultant” of sorts, to swoop in and help a struggling team. “One day, the writers called me and said they had come up with an idea for a TV format based on that concept,” Vialli says.

The hosts have seven days to tackle the club’s issues, which range from disorganization at the management level to conflict among players to poor training facilities. “We try to plant the seed in order to reap the rewards long-term; that’s our objective,” Vialli explains. At the end of the week, the team plays a match to put their newfound skills to the test.

Vialli emphasizes that a key aspect of the show is its authenticity. “I know that it’s a TV show, but it is real and genuine; we have tackled all the problems as if the cameras were not there,” he explains. “We don’t serve the cameras; they are just there to film what goes on, and the director and the camera crews know that, and they’ve got the sensitivity to understand how to be guests without interfering, [because] when the story is true, it’s even more powerful.”

“FremantleMedia was the obvious choice [as a production partner], because in Italy they do formats such as The X Factor and Italy’s Got Talent, and [many of] the most successful TV shows in the country,” Vialli says. Bringing FremantleMedia on board was also key due to the company’s global reach, as Vialli believes the concept of Football Nightmares is one that can be easily replicated worldwide.

“Football Nightmares is entertaining, and every episode can be different, because there are a number of situations to handle with each team, from shoddy training facilities to the amount of disorganization at the management level to players not getting on in the locker room, as well as different personalities and lack of confidence,” Vialli says. For that reason, he doesn’t foresee having to make many tweaks as the format is adapted in other territories.

One aspect of the show that could be tailored to each adaptation, helping to drive viewership, is the selection process for the two ex-footballers. Vialli notes, “The hosts can be chosen cleverly, the way the judges of The X Factor or Got Talent are. They can be iconic [stars that reflect] the personality of the different countries” in which the show is adapted.

In the future, Vialli hopes to see Football Nightmares travel across the globe, as the concept is “very easily translatable and it can appeal to audiences” around the world. “It’s a story of transformation” that can be told in any country where football is played.