Navigating acculturation and identity reconstruction: the experiences of international football coaches in China

<p dir="ltr">The increasing mobility of athletes and coaches has led to acculturation becoming a focal point in sports career development literature. However, limited research has examined the dynamic nature of sport coaches’ acculturation processes. This study addresses this gap by investigating the acculturation experiences of international football coaches in China. Through a reflexive thematic analysis of data from interviews with 23 male international football coaches, the study explores how these coaches navigated work-related challenges and reconstructed their identities within a foreign context. Findings identified two types of contextual challenges and three forms of identity transition during the three phases of acculturation. The findings reveal that the acculturation process for these coaches is dynamic, fluid, and shaped by complex interactions between individual motivations, cultural conflicts and and strategies adopted to achieve personal and professional goals. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the acculturation process in the area of international coaching.</p>