Introduction: One of the key stages in the development of young footballers is the transition from grassroots levels to senior and elite teams. Although some players manage to join first teams, only a few become key players, highlighting the difficulties and complexities of this pathway. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the challenges faced by football players transitioning from grassroots to elite levels from the perspective of coaches.

Methods: This research employs a qualitative methodology, with participants selected purposefully using snowball sampling. Ultimately, 13 grassroots football coaches were chosen as the research sample. Data collection was conducted through interviews; seven interviews were held in person and six were conducted via telephone. The interviews were semi-structured to allow all participants to share their rich and detailed experiences with the interviewer. Given the advantages of thematic analysis, such as flexibility, the ability to summarize large volumes of data, and assistance in policy development analysis, the researchers utilized thematic analysis for data interpretation.

Results: Following the review of the interviews, an analysis was conducted. After initial coding, similar codes were categorized into sub-themes, and ultimately, the combination of these sub-themes formed the main themes, which included individual characteristics, interpersonal attributes, technical factors, structural elements, and policy challenges.

Conclusion: The results indicate that success in navigating this stage depends on multiple factors, and special attention must be given to all these dimensions.