علیرضا فرهادی

This study investigates the representation of fan identity associated with Esteghlal Tehran Football Club on Instagram. Employing Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis framework, the research is grounded in Henri Tajfel's Social Identity Theory. The sample comprises two highly viewed posts from prominent Esteghlal fan pages during the early days of the new year, each containing an image and accompanying caption. Findings reveal that, despite critical and occasionally harsh language directed at the coaching staff, players, and club management, fans' efforts are not aimed at severing ties with team identity but rather at reconstructing it amidst crisis. Themes such as "feelings of despair over continued failures," "desire for introspection within the in-group," "blaming sub-elements to preserve group self-esteem," and "maintaining in-group solidarity through protest language" underscore the complex dynamics of fandom when facing identity threats. Overall, the study highlights Instagram as a potent platform for the emergence of new and visual forms of collective football fan identity in Iran.