Career Transitions of Football Players

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find out the career planning of football players who have ended their active sport life and the problems they encounter in line with these plans. In this study qualitative method was used and as a research design, psychological phenomenology approach, which is one of the phenomenological patterns, was preferred. The sample group of the study consists of 13 retired footballers determined with criterion sampling method.Online interviews were conducted with football players using semi-structured interview technique, lasting an average of 30 minutes. After the participants were informed in line with the principles of interview method, the interviews were recorded. Following this, the expressions of the footballers were written down and descriptive and content analysis method was applied on the texts. As a result of the analyses, it was found that the footballers stated that they preferred to continue their career as coach or to work in jobs other than football. Some of the players stated that they experienced financial, emotional and occupational disadvantages due to problems they encountered, that they had negative life satisfaction and they longed to return to their days as a footballer.