The Language of the Football boot is a performance based on a text by Ivan Ergić (former football player) and Filip Grujić, directed by Borut Šeparović. This innovative performance raises questions that go far beyond the football field, examining contemporary football, depression and capitalism. Through the story of a young Croatian football player who transfers to the German football club Wolfsburg, The Language of the Football Boot strives to explore how the competitive spirit and glorification of success create a culture of dehumanization of athletes. The play reveals the hidden layers of the world of top-level sports, focusing on pressures and expectations that lead to isolation and depression. Directed by Borut Šeparović, this performance emphasizes the toxic masculinity, patriarchy and surveillance capitalism that weigh heavily on athletes.

The Language of the Football Boot addresses taboo topics of depression among athletes, stigmatization and unrealistic expectations. Athletes must always appear healthy, strong and flawless – like modern-day gladiators. At the same time, the play incorporates comic and tragicomic elements, shedding light on interpersonal relationships within the immediate environment. The synergy of football and theatre creates a clash of high and low culture, uniting diverse audiences. The Language of the Football Boot illuminates the economic, social, and psychological challenges in the world of elite sport, examining how feelings of shame and isolation permeate the everyday lives of athletes.

This project calls for a change in how we perceive mental health and how we value the individual in contemporary society, offering a unique insight into the complex world of football and the reality behind the glitter of sporting fame.