Table 1.

Areas, categories, and subcategories of the interview guide.

Area 1: biographical data
Category 1: personal data	Category 2: professional data
Full name / sport name Place of birth / date of birth Academic and thecnical qualifications Residency (pree-carreer and post-carreer) Height and weight (current)	Year of beginning and end of career Internationalisations / tactical position Start of federated practice (formation) Characteristics of professionalisation Curriculum vitae summary

Area 2: professional career
Category 3: sociodemographic backgroud	Category 4: epidemiological pathway
Conciliation of professional activity Years of living outside the usual residence Family Academic and thechnical habilitations General socio-economic level	Serious injuries Surgical interventions Medical-sports monitoring Experienced training methodologies Psychological suport

Area 3: transition for post-career
Category 5: moment of career retirement (carreer transition)	Category 6: post-career sociodemographic pathway
Retirement form Causes or reasons for retirement Retirement decision Retirement planning Important people in the retirement	Experiences and adaptations Professional development Socio-economic level evolution Family Football connection

Category 7: post-career epidemiological pathway	Category 8: perceptions of post-career planning
Health problems Medical follow-up (needs) Career impact perceptions Surgical interventions	Importance of post-career planning The knowledge of support programmes Post-career preparation (sugestions) Career retrospective (significant or problematic experiences)