Before Sasa Kalajdzic returned from a long injury layoff this summer, he sat down to discuss how he handles the mental side of the game, and what’s changed for him following time on the sidelines.
Mentally preparing for a game…
“It starts after the last training session before the game, 24 hours before the game. I’ll eat well, try to sleep a lot and early. I won’t use my phone too much, because it distracts me, and I’ll feel more tired – I need to be focused 100 per cent. I like to drink Turkish coffee, it gives me a little kick, and I’ll listen to the right music.”
Beginning match preparations…
“I think the game starts when the coach starts to show the analysis and the plan he has created for the game which we have to stick to. From that moment, you’re in the zone and focusing on that. Thinking for a while is good, but not too much so you’re obsessed with it. You want to stay rational and calm.”
Recovering from setbacks…
“My approach has changed because before I’d get really disappointed, and I still do because I want to win every time, but now I appreciate being on the pitch first being able to play. If you don’t win, you can be upset and disappointed, but later on at home I see my wife and child and forget everything. It’s OK to be angry, but you have accept it and move on. You need time to get rid of the negative emotions. What I’ve been through, that’s why I won’t be too disappointed, but I feel that may change with time.”
Staying level-headed after positives…
“Experience gives you a calmness to not be too emotional. When you’ve faced situations already, you’re into it. It gets normal, but there are always special games where people on the outside make it more special, a derby for example, or facing your former club is special.”
Cutting off afterwards…
“It’s the next day. Let’s say the game is the afternoon, in the evening I’m at home we’ll talk about. I’ll talk to my closest people to process it and after I’ve slept – sometimes I don’t sleep well after a game – but the next morning I’m clear, I’ve made peace, and you calm down with when analysing it, looking at what we could do better. In the morning it’s done.”
What has changed…
“I didn’t think too much about it, I was just playing and having fun. Then you start to be more ambitious, so you get more emotions. If you want to achieve something, you have certain goals, but if you approach games just to play, that’s the secret. You at it game by game, not too far away. Take it step by step and that’s the approach everyone should take.”
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2024/25 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
