Ivan Ergić in Filip Grujić:
Football Boot Tongue (Jezik kopačke)

Running time: 165 minutes, including an intermission 
 

For audiences aged 18+

Football Boot Tongue is a play by Ivan Ergić (a former footballer) and Filip Grujić, staged by Borut Šeparović. This innovative production raises questions that extend far beyond the football pitch, exploring modern football, depression and capitalism.

By telling a story of a young Croatian footballer who gets transferred to the German club Wolfsburg, Football Boot Tongue delves into how competitive spirit and the glorification of success foster a culture of dehumanisation among athletes. The play unveils the hidden layers of elite sports, focusing on the pressures and expectations that lead to isolation and depression.

Through the direction of Borut Šeparović, the play highlights toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and surveillance capitalism, which weigh heavily on athletes. Football Boot Tongue addresses sporting taboos like depression, stigma and unrealistic expectations. Athletes are expected to always be healthy, strong and flawless – modern-day gladiators. At the same time, the play incorporates comic and tragicomic elements, shedding light on interpersonal relationships within an athlete’s immediate environment.

The synergy between football and theatre in this play brings about a clash of high and low culture, bridging diverse audiences. Football Boot Tongue sheds light on the economic, social and psychological challenges in the world of elite sports, examining how feelings of shame and isolation permeate athletes’ everyday lives.
Providing a unique insight into the complex world of football and the reality behind the glamour of sporting fame, the production calls for a shift in the perception of mental health and the value of an individual in today’s society.

Awards
38th Gavella Drama Evenings festival in Zagreb
Grand Prix for Best Play Overall
70th Sterijino Pozorje Festival (2025), Novi Sad, Serbia
Sterija Audience Award: The play won first place based on the festival audience's votes (with a high average score of 4.66).
Sterija Critics' “Dejan Penčić Poljanski” Roundtable Award: Awarded by the official panel of theatre critics.
Sterija Award for Best Stage Movement: Awarded to Tamara Despot.
Sterija Award for Best Young Actor: Awarded to Bernard Tomić (from the "Dara Čalenić" fund).
The "Zoran Radmilović" Award: Awarded to Rakan Rushaidat for acting brilliance. 
Sterija Award for Best Contemporary Play: Awarded to Ivan Ergić and Filip Grujić.