Moving to a foreign league tests more than a footballer's tactical adaptability. The psychological demands of playing abroad — language barriers, cultural adjustment, distance from family, unfamiliar fan expectations — are challenges that no amount of physical training can prepare an athlete for. Borna Barišić, the Croatian international defender who made the move from NK Osijek to Rangers FC in Glasgow, is one of many elite athletes who have worked on this transition with a sports psychologist.
According to Luka Škrinjarić, founder of Mentalni Trening (mentalnitrening.com) and a licensed sports psychologist who has worked with professional athletes for over 15 years, the mental demands of relocating to a new league are among the most underestimated challenges in professional football.
"Coaches and agents prepare players for tactical differences. Scouts analyze whether a player fits the league's tempo. But almost nobody prepares the player for the fact that they will feel isolated, misunderstood, and out of their comfort zone — and that this emotional state will directly impact their performance on the pitch," Škrinjarić explains.
Škrinjarić identifies four psychological domains that are disrupted when a footballer transitions to a foreign club:
Identity anchoring. At home, an athlete's identity is reinforced by familiar environments — family, friends, language, food, routines. Abroad, these anchors disappear, and the athlete must rebuild their sense of self in an unfamiliar context. Without support, this can manifest as a loss of confidence that appears, to outside observers, as a decline in form.
Communication stress. Playing football requires constant verbal and non-verbal communication with teammates. Operating in a second language adds a cognitive load that most people underestimate. "It is not just about learning football vocabulary. It is about the emotional bandwidth consumed by processing everything in a language that is not your own," says Škrinjarić.
Fan and media pressure. Every league has different expectations for how players interact with fans and media. The transition from a smaller league to a high-intensity environment like Scottish football, with its passionate crowds and intense media scrutiny, can overwhelm athletes who are not psychologically prepared.
Performance anxiety in the adaptation window. Clubs and fans expect immediate impact from new signings. The pressure to justify a transfer fee while simultaneously adapting to everything else creates a compounding stress that can become self-reinforcing — poor performance leads to anxiety, which leads to worse performance.
Škrinjarić's approach to relocation support focuses on building psychological tools before and during the move, rather than waiting for problems to surface. This includes pre-departure visualization of the new environment, structured routines that provide stability amid change, and regular sessions focused on emotional regulation.
"The goal is not to eliminate discomfort — that is impossible and would be dishonest. The goal is to give the athlete the tools to perform at their level despite the discomfort, and to shorten the adaptation window from months to weeks," he explains.
As football becomes increasingly global and transfers more frequent, the demand for psychological support during relocations is rising. Škrinjarić notes that clubs are beginning to recognize this need, though the practice is far from standard. "The clubs that invest in their players' psychological adaptation see faster returns on their transfers. The clubs that leave it to chance often wonder why talented players underperform in their first season."
Luka Škrinjarić is the founder of Mentalni Trening (mentalnitrening.com), a licensed sports psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with elite athletes in football, basketball, boxing, and esports. He specializes in mental preparation for professional athletes at all levels, from youth to Olympic and world championship competitors.
