Sport Numericus: "Twitter is good for the club and the player" (R. Stopford, Manchester City)

"The use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter can be beneficial for the players and the clubs. There is an interest for both parties if the use is relevant," said Russell Stopford, head of digital for Manchester City, on the occasion of the debate on "the athlete 2.0 manual", organised as part of the third edition of Sport Numericus at the Stade de France (Saint-Denis), on the 07/11/2013.

Maxence Karoutchi, a players agent for the FFR (French Rugby Federation), Mike Dunphy, president and CEO of MD Media Consulting, and Jérémy Roy, cyclist for FDJ.fr team, were invited to answer the question: "How do the management of sports images perform via the digital medium?".

"The athlete is a resonance of the club, and vice versa. But if the account is managed by a third party, such as a fan or the club itself, it loses its authenticity. When it's an agency, it's the same thing. It loses its meaning and we run the risk of creating a bad buzz," said Maxence Karoutchi.

"In general, to self-manage one's own Twitter or Facebook account is to say: I am my own media," concluded Jeremy Roy.