Cash on the table. A high-value watch. A bracelet and even a car with visible license plates. All in a photo published on TikTok. The post was made by Wesley, the Roma defender, who has displayed some of his valuables. What is striking is not only the amount of money on display, but also the presence of identifiable details, such as vehicle license plates. Such information, if linked to other data, can help reconstruct some aspects of the footballer's private life. The publication raises a concrete question: how appropriate is it to make expensive items and details that can be linked to private life visible on social networks?
In social media slang, this is called “flexare”, that is, to boast about yourself and show off your wealth to the point of open demonstration. Below the video, critical comments and warnings from Roma fans have also appeared. “If I were a thief, I would be organizing a robbery right now. Really stupid,” wrote one user. A comment that expresses concern for security, but does not constitute a concrete threat to the footballer.
What does the photo published by Wesley contain?
The content is also reminiscent of the world of video games, where the display of money and cars can be part of the virtual representation of the characters with whom the players identify. The picture shows about ten bundles of 50-euro banknotes, among which a very expensive chronograph watch stands out, as well as perhaps a bracelet or chain. All are placed next to the monitor.
But there is another problem that should not be overlooked: footballers are often among the favorite targets of criminals, who enter their homes to steal money, accessories and other personal items. The public display of such wealth can attract the attention of people with criminal intentions.
The image shows small bundles of banknotes tied with rubber bands. According to a rough estimate by eye, the amount could be 40 to 50 thousand euros, maybe even more. In the middle is the watch: with a gold case, a skeletonized inner dial, a black strap and a characteristic rectangular shape. It closely resembles a model from the Richard Mille brand. If it is genuine, its value could reach around 200 thousand euros.
In FiveM, this is completely normal. In the game GTA you can take the appearance of the character you want, whether it's a gangster or a cop. You can expose fake money and cars that don't exist in reality. But it's one thing to do this in a role-playing game, and quite another to do it on TikTok, where Wesley appears with his real face. In Rome, as in other parts of Italy, it's not the first time that footballers' apartments have been robbed because enough information can be obtained from Instagram: where they live, what they have at home and when they are absent, because they are on transfer or away with their family.
It's not a moral issue, because the money is his and he can do whatever he wants with it. The issue is about security: it's like giving your address to people with bad intentions.
Why might publishing such details pose a risk?
Footballers are often the targets of home robberies, but it would be wrong to conclude that a single photograph automatically makes Wesley vulnerable.
The risk depends on the information that can be extracted and combined with other data that a person chooses to make accessible to a wider audience than they might have intended. A distinct location, a license plate, references to daily habits, or information about periods when the person is absent from the home can help reconstruct aspects of their private life.
