Most of the players, coaches are giving themselves a question before they sign a contract with any club, if it is the right place for them which they are about to sign. Every individual has his priorities he wants to achieve. Of course, he would like to play the highest division, earning the most money, play the champions league, but not everyone can fulfill this, so our goals should be realistic in which path we choose.
We should consider several things before choosing the right club, or take the very first offer that comes in our hand. Most of the time the first offer that will find you without you looking for it, is the right one and there is no sense of waiting. A player or coach in the moment does not know if this is the right offer. On the other side, sometimes you tell to yourself that it was good that I waited because now I play in a better club in comparison with the first one they offered me.
What should I do to make a right decision? Try to write down all the pluses and minuses in a calm and comfortable place of your home.
Here are some hints how to handle the most common situations:
The contract I will sign will not be for a lot of money. But I will have an experienced coach which will teach me a lot and will help me to move forward in my career and maybe after the season he will recommend me somewhere even though not for a lot of money.
Accommodation with another two players where each has his own room. “Well, I wanted to have privacy and not to be disturbed by anyone”. Try to look at it that you get to know your colleagues from your team more and you can create a good friendships for the entire life and you will remember it for a long time after being split up by your journey and perhaps you will stay in touch throughout your life and you’ll visit each other even when you don´t play together. It still may be fun in an apartment with someone as if you were alone. Always try to turn everything on the positive side. If all of you are different nationalities you can gain a lot of experience of another country and find out what habits they have. You may get better in another language, and who will teach you a foreign language better than a person who was born in that country?
Many time you are questioning yourself: ” Are the money going to be enough for me to save for the future?” If it is the first season abroad or the second, third…..always think about that you never know who can see you and where can it get you. Maybe you will play the best season and you will get a better offer next season. It will always be a good investment for the future. So don´t think about it until you have a family, that in the moment I have 800 euro per month and you want to wait for an offer which will be 1200 euro because I told to myself that I will not go under this amount, because I have something behind me already. It can happen that few months will pass by and you won´t get any team and you will have to go under 800 euro per month.
Professional sportsmen doesn´t have the career very long and everybody would like to save as much money as possible, so he/she can start a business or until they find a job. That is why you should be happy for every possibility you have and get as many contacts which can be helpful after the career and it is much more helpful than those “only 1000 euro per month” which the club wants to give me right now and I won´t save anything from it. So think about the contacts because that is the most valuable thing and one day you may earn more thanks to these contacts.
Everybody would like to play the highest league and also a champions league. Sometimes it is not bad to look for a team which has ambitions to advance to a higher league and they are trying to make a team which will later on play some cups. You have the chance to excel between the players that are approximately on your level or if you think you are better than the half of the team it is good for you because the agents, scouts, managers will notice you earlier.
References, it is always good when you have the opportunity to contact players or a coach who worked with the club before, ask several people, so you can create a better image, not everyone could suit the coach or not everyone could fit in the system which the club makes or how it treats players. Possible reference which the people gives you, can help you to make faster decisions.
Many of you are dealing with the issue whether to go play in this or that country or not. You are wondering if it can hurt your future steps if you go to a lower ranking league. If you are a good player or a coach, your qualities will be always valued by the club. Many times weaker leagues are buying one or two good players to a get a higher prestige. Every season in a different country – league is something special.
Never wait too long, so you won´t let away the first opportunity, consider the pluses and minuses of every single offer received. Try to ask how long the club is willing to wait for you to give you time to think.
